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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24223162">Wildfire</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sav_guilmette_86/pseuds/sav_guilmette_86'>sav_guilmette_86</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Adventure Zone (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Frozen AU, Magic, Tazb, dnd, haven't written a lot of fic before hope it's okay, kiddos, little lup and taako</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:48:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>22,506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24223162</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sav_guilmette_86/pseuds/sav_guilmette_86</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Two magical twins are born in the country of Starblast, which, under normal circumstances, would be no issue. Trouble is, these aren't normal circumstances; these heirs to the throne aren't magical in the conventional way.<br/>One can control the element of fire, which no other magic user can.</p><p>In a DND world without spells like Scorching Ray or Sleet Storm, the only girl who can use them is hidden away until she can't take the pressure anymore.</p><p>A TAZ Frozen AU! Not like we haven't seen one of these before lmao</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barry Bluejeans/Lup, Kravitz &amp; Angus McDonald, Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone), Lup &amp; Taako (The Adventure Zone), The Director | Lucretia/Maureen Miller</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Queens of Starblast take a walk in the woods. Taako and Lup stay up too late. Lup enjoys fireworks for one.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Taako and Lup had never been average children.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone knew this, somehow, even from the time they were little. Sure, they were adoptive royal twins, prince and princess, and that was odd enough in itself, but.. There was something else, there, too. Something different that even the twins themselves didn’t quite fully grasp for a couple years. It was something that Lucretia and Maureen didn’t notice, either, that fateful day they found the twins in the woods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maureen- are you sure we should be heading out this far? I appreciate that you want to help me gather field notes, but- we’re approaching the fog, now. I don’t want to go too close, here..” Lucretia walked along, clutching the notebook tight to her chest. Two of the guards stepped along quietly after the young royals, watching out for potential danger as Maureen kept on going.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were a few yards away from where the fog began, a slight afternoon breeze making the open forest chilly. This combined with the rain made for what usually wouldn’t be a good research day, but they made plans to, damn it, and they hadn’t gotten much time to themselves in a while. It was worth it to be out of the castle for a day, even if the path here had taken a few hours by horseback. Their responsibilities at the castle didn’t matter for now, they’d be back soon enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Lucretia, it’s alright, you know we’re not too close.. Your research helps your cause as much as it does mine. Besides, I wouldn’t actually dare to go into that fog. You.. you know why I keep my distance,” the 22-year-old mumbled. Putting her red umbrella between her legs, Maureen pulled her hair back in a ponytail behind her pointed ears. She extended a hand to her wife. “Let’s just keep looking. It’s only been a few hours, I’m sure we’ll find evidence of that voidfish of yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, right, you’re right.. Let’s keep moving,” Lucretia agreed, smiling fondly as she grabbed the other’s hand. They made light conversation about their search for a while, laughing when one would stumble over the countless tree branches. The newlyweds had recently tied the knot this summer, becoming the queens of their country, Starblast. Maureen had half-joked about changing the name of her beloved kingdom, while Luce tried to explain that it was just fine for a name, even if it sounded like it was named by an eight-year-old. That had been an awfully silly conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laughing at the memory, Maureen pointed out a snippet of Lucretia’s loopy, printer-perfect handwriting. With the flow of their conversation, it took a moment for them both to realize something was amiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, wait, shh,” Lucretia began, a frown coming to her lips as she heard.. Crying? Was that what it was-? Maureen paused, ears flickering and raising up high to listen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound had paused for a moment, until it reached their ears louder. Yeah, that was definitely a child crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, shit,” Maureen whispered, eyes widening. “I think it’s this way.” She held a hand to the guards, requesting that they stayed where they were, and moved in the direction she heard the cries. Lucretia walked right along beside her, journal at the ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long before they found the source.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, dear,” spoke Lucretia as she spotted it. A tiny bundle of blankets with small hands peeking out, whining and crying in the early autumn chill. It was a pair of little elven children- two warm, sunkissed complexions, two blonde, curly heads of hair, and two big ol’ bright green eyes. Lucretia paled. “Maureen.. They’re out here alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maureen frowned, understanding the implications of that. The two must have been left by the Toosun people, who resided beyond the fog, in the forest where nobody had dared enter for almost fifteen years. A chill ran down her spine as Maureen reached out and gently picked up the children. Almost instantly they calmed down, soothed by the warmth she radiated. One seemed to be far less irritable and cold than the other. Lucretia grabbed hold of Maureen’s umbrella, lifting it above the four of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maureen’s eyes met Lucretia’s. “We can’t leave them out here.. C’mon, let’s get back to the castle quick, before these poor things freeze to death,” she spoke softly. “We can talk about what to do next on the way there.” A nod from Lucretia and the two were on their way back to the guards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The light wind settled down, as did the rain, as the two queens began their trek home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Years passed, and with no better option, the children were adopted by the queens of Starblast. Twin boys, so they thought at the beginning, then changing to twin brother and sister with a bit of correction. The children, affectionately named Taako and Lup, were perfectly average at the start. Aside from their rapid uptake to learning, speaking, and reading, there were some.. Other traits of the  gifted children that couldn’t be overlooked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For one, Lup had fucking</span>
  <em>
    <span> elemental</span>
  </em>
  <span> magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elves, which they assumed from the beginning were of Toosun origin, were supposed to have innate magic anyway. Every person had the capability of using magic, but elemental magic was a whole other ballgame. Nobody could manipulate the earth, fire, water, or air. Nobody except Lup Miller, one of the new heirs to the throne of Starblast. Taako wasn’t as fortunate with his abilities, but was picking up normal cantrips and spells just as fast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They learned to be cautious, though, considering Lup’s powers were that of fire. She could make volcanic rock, lava, flames, and a strange black glass that usually formed in discs. Her favorite, though, were the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fireworks</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, come on, come on, come on!” Taako ushered her along, grinning brightly with that gap-toothed smile of his. The two six-year-olds were up far past their bedtime, and they knew this perfectly well. It wouldn’t stop them from causing mischief, though, not today. Too much pent up energy- so much so, that they were awake at 1am.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shhh,” she laughed, holding tight to his hand as they ran into the empty ballroom. Closing the door, she turned and saw Taako practically vibrating with excitement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do your magic, Lulu-! Do it, do it! C’mon, I’ve been waiting all night,” he insisted, the familiar sparks of Prestidigitation dancing at his fingertips, his own imitation fireworks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup laughed at his reaction  and waved her hands together. Sparks suddenly burst forth and danced between her palms, and she stuck her tongue out, thinking. “Koko, can you cast Silence on the room real quick? This is gonna make a big noise,” she said, waiting for his nod of affirmation before she continued. This was the hardest part: the timing. Lup threw the firework high into the air. Sparks of color and light bursted out soundlessly, black ashes falling gently around the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako jumped and whooped excitedly, giggles spilling out. “This is amazing! It’s so much better than the dumb Presdig- Prestidig- oh, whatever, you know the one!” He laughed, the spell still active in his palms as he tried to emulate her magic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup smiled back just as bright, giggling too. “Watch this!” With a stomp of her slippered foot, a layer of black glass suddenly coated the floor, forming a giant ice rink of sorts. Taako slipped on his butt, sliding off in a burst of laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The night continued on like this. The twins goofed around with Lup’s incredible powers, getting up to mischief all the while. The brother and sister rolled together huge lava spheres and built a crude human-looking form together. Lup smirked. “Hold on- I know exactly what it needs to look like a dude,” she snickered, and turned from Taako.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rolled his eyes at the dramatics and tried to see what she was working on. “C’monnn, I wanna see!” he complained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just wait a moment, dingus!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s been a </span>
  <em>
    <span>moment</span>
  </em>
  <span>, goofus!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on.. Almost….. Done!” She turned to him, and had managed to transmute whatever fabric she conjured. It was a pair of blue jeans, and he nearly laughed his ass off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You create a cool lava dude and the first thing you give him is </span>
  <em>
    <span>pants</span>
  </em>
  <span>-?” he barked with laughter, snorting and giggling as she tried to get them on the rock child. Eventually she succeeded, and she grabbed the heavy arms and moved them around with her own. “Hi, I'm Barry, and I like warm hugs,” she spoke in a goofy voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako nearly lost it at that, calling her a nerd and whatever other insults a six-year-old could come up with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their fun continued on as she made her best attempt at a jungle gym for the two. These kiddos were self proclaimed “flip wizards”, naturally, and loved to climb all over shit they had no business being on. She built up the structure from the lava rock as he instructed, and he insisted on being the one to test it as she built.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well just make sure you let it cool down before you touch it, goofball,” Lup warned before she began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako rolled his eyes again. “Yeah, of course, dingdong, I’m not an idiot,” he spoke with no real venom in his tone. He was awful appreciative of what she was doing, either way, so he couldn’t really be mad with his sister for anything. He was already a few feet up, now swinging across the monkeybar-like-parts with practiced grace. For a minute there he hung from his feet, giggling and trying to distract her as he swung his arms at her. She faltered for a moment before smiling and shooting him a glare, creating the rest of the rock structure suspended in the air. Finally it was completed!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, heck yeah, I’m getting up there too,” she grinned, following up the first ladder to try and catch up with him. They spent a few more minutes up there on the rocks before he convinced her to do the fireworks again, and she happily agreed. Sitting beside her brother and using this amazing magic, she felt on top of the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then that world came crashing down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako stood up the best he could on top of the rock bars, trying to get a better vantage point to view the fireworks at. He stood on the bars and walked away from her, arms out to balance and hold himself steady. From an adult’s perspective it might’ve looked precarious, but he would tell you that he knew what he was doing. Well, he did, until he reached the bit of rock that he’d distracted Lup while she created. Not as structurally sound as the other parts, it broke under his weight and he fell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup’s eyes widened and she reached her hand out before she even realized it. “Taako-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she shot him with the next incoming firework.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hit the floor with a dull thump and a clink against the glass, falling easily into unconsciousness. With him no longer there to channel the spell, Silence dropped from the room and the boom of the firework was heard. Lup scrambled to get to the floor, climbing down haphazardly as tears welled in her eyes. No, no, no!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup ran to her brother and hugged him closely in her arms. A streak of Taako's hair, where struck, was slowly turning red. Lup trembled, sniffling as she felt sobs coming on. “Lucretia! Maureen!” she called out to their guardians, frightened. The glass in several parts of the room began to bubble and hiss, heating up to unbelievable temperatures. It began to grow hotter and redder in the room by the second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The queens, disheveled, burst through the doors. Maureen gasped at the sight, and Lucretia looked absolutely mortified. They rushed to the twins’ side, Maureen taking Taako into her arms. Lup babbled and sobbed, shaking like a leaf. “It was an </span>
  <em>
    <span>accident</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I promise, it was just an accident- I’m so sorry,” she stuttered through cries.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucretia wrapped an arm around the poor girl, smoothing her hair from her face and gently wiping her tears. “Shh, shh, I.. I know where we have to go. Don’t you worry, Lup.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Carrying the twins, the queens rode their horses out of the kingdom in a hurry. Sparks streamed anxiously from Lup's hands, hitting the grass and leaving a trail of black glass behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The glass petered out and stopped forming as the horses skidded to a halt. “Here, quickly,” Lucretia said, holding Lup close to her chest. Maureen still held the unconscious Taako as they dismounted. They stood in the center of what looked like a ghost town, one of the more quiet settlements in their country. “Hello? Paloma? It’s Lucretia,” the woman called out, and within a few moments there was a flickering before them. Then standing on the rocks before them was an image, no- the real deal, it was Paloma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The old mage walked forward, arthritically but determined. Usually she’d have a smile to offer them, a blessing of the goddess Istus, but she knew these were dire circumstances. “Your majesties,” she spoke softly, giving a slight bow. She gestured to Lup. “Born with the powers, or cursed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucretia and Maureen shared a glance. Fuck if they knew. “Uhm,” Maureen began, “-born, we assumed, as she hasn’t been cursed during her time at the castle. But her powers have only been growing stronger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Paloma nodded, motioning for the queen to bring Taako to her. She handed the boy over carefully, and the psychic examined him. She huffed after a moment. “You’re awfully lucky it wasn't his heart. The heart is not so easily changed, but.. With altering, the head can be persuaded,” she spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do what you must,” Maureen said, gently rubbing Lup’s back. The girl was still sniffling in Lucretia’s arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I recommend we remove all elemental magic,” Paloma began carefully. “Even memories of Lup’s magic, to be safe.... But don't worry, I'll leave the fun, and the everyday magic we all know. He will still grow to be a great wizard.” Paloma, with a wave of her hand, pulled out a.. glowing red energy from Taako’s temple. Visible above them, his memories floated along. Paloma then changed all of his elemental magical memories to ordinary memories. The firework play indoors with the children in their nightgowns changed to outdoors on the summer fields, with the twins watching them spark overhead with Luce and Maureen. The flames and fire he remembered practicing with Lup were turned to a normal magic study. The nights where they camped out on the castle grounds with a campfire and magic sparklers became an indoor sleepover. Paloma worked hastily, and put the ordinary memories back into Taako’s head. After a moment, she spoke. “He will be okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But he won't remember I have the fire powers?” asked Lup shakily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It's for the best, hon,” spoke Lucretia.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen to me, Lup,” Paloma said gently, getting her attention again, “-your power will only grow.” As she spoke, she cast prestidigitation to show a silhouette of an adult Lup creating magical fire. “There is beauty in your magic.. But also great danger.” The small flame turned overwhelming, raging on. “You must learn to control it..” In the display, the raging fire caused humanoid figures to panic and attack Lup. “Fear will be your enemy, little one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup gasped and buried her face in Lucretia’s chest. Luce wrapped her arms tighter around the girl protectively. “No. We'll protect her. She can learn to control it. I'm sure. She’s a brilliant magic user, I have faith in her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Starblast castle gates closed tight early that morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We'll lock the gates. We'll reduce the staff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The castle shutters closed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We will limit her contact with people and keep her powers hidden from everyone…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako sat quietly on his bed as Lup's furniture slowly got carried from his room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“..including Taako.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy rushed to the hall to see his twin shut the door to her new room. Taako watched, confused and sad as he didn’t so much as receive a glance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A wave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An “I love you:”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was lonely for a very, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> long time.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lup is an absolute dream. Taako is enthralled by someone he shouldn't have seen. Coronation day is finally here for the country of Starblast.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It had been a long day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young prince of Starblast, now 11, stretched his arms high over his head, yawning. Taako had been practicing his magic all fuckin’ day, with barely a break in between. Now it was late in the evening, and he had already gone for dinner and come back. Sitting in the parlor room with the paintings all watching, he just wanted to get it right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was resolute that he’d figure out this spell today. Blink wasn't even that hard, it was only a third level spell! He knew he could do it, but.. he was awfully tired after trying and failing the whole gods damned day. It was frustrating, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe</span>
  </em>
  <span> he’d cried at one point, but it was fine. He had to get this done. Maureen had offered to help him out, but stubborn as ever, the elf didn’t want her help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He liked to work alone. He was pretty solitary when it came to learning stuff, he found, which was contrary to his social presence in general. He loved to talk to people, to perform or show off, but the serious stuff always found him alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The prince swept his hair out of his face and gripped his wand tighter, aiming to try it one more time. He took a deep breath, between yawns, and steadied himself. It was just somatic and verbal components, and he knew he was pronouncing the fuckin word “Blink” correctly. It must be, </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be down to the hand movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the </span>
  <em>
    <span>millionth</span>
  </em>
  <span> time that day, Taako tried to cast Blink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And this time, he succeeded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He opened his eyes, and realized the world was in greyscale. Taako lit up, gasping and grinning brightly as he jumped up and down. Yes, yes, hell yes! He had finally gotten the spell! He was ghost-like here, incorporeal to the Material Plane, and deafened to anyone on it. Nice. This would come super in handy for sneaking around the castle! There were some antimagic barriers around, but he knew where they were, and how to avoid them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was so happy that it didn't even bother him when it wore off after a minute. The elf couldn't wipe the grin from his face, yawning widely and putting his wand down on the table. An exhausting day with a result that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> worth it. He sure as hell felt sleepy now, though, so he sat on the couch he’d been practicing on all day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Within a few short minutes, he’d already fallen asleep. Taako’s snores filled the room, and the lights dimmed on the castle’s timer. The curtains shut closed with magic as well, settling quietly. The elf’s breathing fell into an even pattern. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of the door creaking open did little to wake him, and in slid Lup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The princess looked not a lot like he would've remembered five years ago. She was only a bit taller than him despite them being the same age, and had grown out of the scrawny stage like he had. She held herself with a carefulness she never had when they were younger, her hands gloved up to the middle of her arm. Her blonde hair was held back in a tight ponytail, and some piercings adorned her freckled ears like they did his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was clear her body was changing some too. This was Lucretia’s doing; she’d wanted to help Lup go through the version of puberty that she needed, and casted True Polymorph to help her out in that regard. It was a permanent spell, and it would grow as she did. As much as it made Lup happy, and far less dysphoric, it still couldn’t replace the crippling weight of isolation she felt every day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So when she went to the parlor to take a moment for herself, seeing Taako was a strange surprise. She expected him to have left by now. The girl hesitated, wondering whether she should just leave, but.. She didn’t want to. Of course she didn’t; that was her brother. Her ears flickered with indecision until she let out a little huff and stepped in quietly. This was the least she could do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup walked over to the couch, casting Silence on the room just to be careful. She didn’t want to wake him by accident. With a wave of her hand she conjured a warm blanket from her room. This one.. It was one of her favorites, from when they were kids. She took the blanket softly in her hands, laying it on top of her brother with care. She paused again for a moment, observing him, and sighed. “Love you, Ko,” she said in the Silence, and dropped the spell as she left unheard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, almost unheard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s ears fluttered and in half-sleep, he looked to the doorway. It took him a moment to register what was happening. “Mm.. Lup?” he asked, squinting and yawning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She froze, ears straight up. She didn’t dare look back in the room, still half in the doorway. “No. This is a dream, goofball,” she said softly but sternly. “Go back to sleep, Ko.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stared still, bleary eyes looking her way. After a minute, he seemed to accept this as an answer, and rolled over to face the couch. “Night, goofball.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup breathed a sigh of relief, not realizing her hands had been shaking. She felt the warmth in her fingertips and tried to shove it down, pulling the doorknob shut behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako had the best sleep that night that he had in a long while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup didn’t.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taako felt frustrated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been almost ten years since.. whatever caused them to close the gates, and he’d been holed up in this goddamn castle, practically alone. His caretakers, the queens of Starblast, usually did their best to keep him occupied, but.. They’d embarked on a ship earlier that week. So, they weren’t here for him. Gods knew that Lup wouldn’t be joining him outside of her room anytime soon, either, and especially not at this hour.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The teen sighed lazily as he gazed out at the moonlit night, a frown on his face as he watched the barren streets. He was lucky to not have woken anybody with his night terrors tonight. After all, it’s not like there were many people here to be woken up in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Would Lup even care if she heard them-? His screams in the night, from the dreams about being isolated and alone? He doubted it. She, in his mind, hadn’t cared about him for a very long ten years. It frustrated Taako to no end. They were so.. close, before, and he didn't know what had set her off, or had driven her away.. he just knew that unequivocally, it was his fault somehow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gripped the handle of the umbrella tight and, using it as his focus, aimed it at the window. Dispel Magic, he casted, and with the window no longer holding an alarm he climbed right on out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s bedroom was on one of the higher floors, which, okay, wouldn't make this easy. The teen cast Featherfall on himself, just in case, and began his descent. He knew the patrol of the guards by now, and, honestly? He didn't think they’d stop him even if they saw. Who could blame the young prince for trying to get the hell out of the cooped up castle?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Judging the distance between the wall he was climbing and where the gates were, he bit his lip. Fuck it. He could make it. He jumped across, flipwizarding his way over to the top of the gate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped for a moment, placing the umbrella at his feet as he went to put his hair up. A brilliant streak of red ran through his bright blonde hair, nearly the same shade as the umbrella. Taako had that streak in his hair for, like, as long as he could remember. Sure, he didn’t have a real explanation for it, but it couldn't be important. Especially since he started getting headaches while trying to remember. He decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. A huff left his lips as he began to climb down the gate. At least this hair streak worked with his whole outfit, unlike the fuckin’ umbrella. He hated that he had to have the damn thing for now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taako,” Maureen had asked him, “-please take care of it while we’re gone. I know your wand broke recently, so you can substitute this as your focus while we’re gone. I won't need it for a bit. We can grab you a new wand when we come back, but this trip is urgent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Urgent, his ass. They’d been planning the trip for months, why was it so </span>
  <em>
    <span>urgent</span>
  </em>
  <span> now? He’d heard their whispers in the study, in the library, how often they seemed to return to his ears as.. static. It would cause those headaches again. Whatever the deal with that mysterious boat trip was, he didn't think he wanted to know. But one thing he knew for sure was that he didn't want to hold onto this clown-ass umbrella for any longer than he had to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde elected to Featherfall the rest of his way down, boots clicking as they met the cobblestone. He stretched his arms high above his head after that climb, releasing a puff of air. It was visible in the air; a little chilly, but whatever, he didn't really care. Not this rebellious elf! He was gonna take time for himself while the queens were out of the castle, and not there to helicopter parent his ass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn't take him much to sneak past any of the guards, slipping away from the outer wall with ease (and perhaps an invisibility spell. hop off his dick). Walking along the street in the moonlight, he took a second to really appreciate the town. It was.. different, at night. Pretty. The same kind of quiet and loneliness that the castle held during the day. He supposed a part of him appreciated the quiet, but that was overruled by,, pretty much his entire personality. The silence began to bug him, so with a frown he went more toward the forest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crunching of his boots on twigs started to ground him as he swung the umbrella, using his nightvision and the moonlight to guide his path. He hummed a tune he vaguely remembered Maureen singing in their childhood, and- oh. Taako stopped abruptly, realizing- he remembered something? And it wasn't giving him a terrible headache?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fifteen-year-old scrambled to find his spellbook- he always kept it on his person. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Elves, he had scribbled on the cover. He’d grown used to writing down his memories in between the various spells he knew, clinging to the experiences he knew he had. He credited himself as a dumbass, someone with a spotty memory as just, like, a character trait. He wasn't really trying to get to the bottom of these missing memories, but he knew they existed. He was trying to catalogue them, was all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wrote in chicken scratch the lyrics to the song, as he remembered them bit by bit. “-</span>
  <span>a river, full of memory.. where all is found</span>
  <span>,” Taako mumbled to himself aloud, standing in the middle of this goddamn forest as he tried to recall the song. He got about halfway through before a snapping in the distance met his ears. They flickered and rose high at attention, his eyes locked in the direction of the noise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It sounded like struggling, perhaps. A gasp. Footsteps, a shout- but it didn't seem to be coming any closer to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In intrigue, Taako moved forward as he pocketed the spellbook. He grasped the handle of the umbrella, staying as quiet as he could as he tried to get a better vantage point. Maybe he’d have to use it as a dumb lookin’ focus after all. The prince crept up a hill, taking refuge behind a huge boulder. From where he peeked, now, he could see it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was fuckin’ chaotic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a gentleman in black, who he couldn't really seem to make out. He stood- in the air- above a couple of folks quivering and unmoving. One being was </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> dead, the wrong type of “unmoving” at their feet. Taako grimaced, not looking long enough to determine what it was. His eyes trailed back up to the floating dude.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, no more mister nice Death.” A pause. “Undead abominations,” the man spoke, a.. cockney lilt to his voice? For some reason, Taako got the impression that he didn't usually speak that way. The man continued. “By decree of the Raven Queen, I formally charge your sect with necromancy of the second degree. Come willingly and your sentence can be reduced.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s head tilted and he watched in wonder, no trace of anxiety in his features. He wasn't necessarily thrilled with the prospect of being in private with this Death individual, but it seemed like he was taking care of an issue. The hell were these fools doing practicing necromancy? He kept his head down but was interested as heck in watching on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, please- please- we just need to bring our-” the floating gentleman didn't even give them another word, taking out his scythe. “Look.” He sounded annoyed. “I don't want to draw this out any longer than you do. It’s been a long fuckin’ night, and I’d prefer it if we just got this over with. I’m not pitchin’ everyone’s case about a deceased relative to Her Lady. You're not allowed to steal souls from the Astral Plane, and that's final.” He floated down, feet touching the ground as he held the scythe firmer in his grip. “Are you all coming, or no?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s eyes widened as he watched the man form a portal with the scythe. The people startled and some began to run, causing the reaper to sigh dramatically. Taako ducked fully behind the rock before he was able to be spotted, for once thankful that he wasn't wearing his usual pointy hat. His ears picked up the noise behind him, listening for the telltale signs of combat. But none really came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes, it was still unnaturally quiet. His eyebrows knitted together, staying still for another moment back here until his curiosity got the better of him. As Taako sat back up, peering over the rock, he saw something.. Curious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man who’d introduced himself as Death, an emissary of the Raven Queen, was now holding a small half-elf child. And, oh- Taako couldn't help the gasp that came as he realized.. the child was the one they were trying to revive. The necromancers were already disposed of. He gripped the umbrella tighter as the man spoke aloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, little guy,” the emissary huffed, looking guilty somehow. He gently brushed the curls from the small boy’s face, and there was a twinge of regret. A pause. “Your life ended far too early. There’s.. Nothing I can do to change that. But I can help you seek a rebirth. Let’s go see Her Lady,” he said with a sad smile. “I’ve got a good feeling about you.” He stepped through the rift, and it closed with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>pop</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s face was flushed and his chest tight in a way that he hadn’t experienced before. He didn’t know if it was because he found the sweet, terrifying man attractive, or if it was because of the loss he’d witnessed, but.. He felt different. The prince cleared his throat and stood up, now that he was in the clear, and headed back toward the castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too much excitement for tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he walked back he made another note in his journal: </span>
  <span>“Hot reaper guy with kiddo. Find out who those necromancers were- origin. Raven Queen- research tomes in library. Astral Plane,”</span>
  <span> he jotted down in fragmented sentences. The elf had a bit of a mystery to distract himself now..</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lucretia and Maureen died at sea later that week.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The news got to the twins before it did anyone else. Lup, upon hearing, didn’t even leave her room for days. She was too wracked with grief to process it any other way, and didn’t want to deal with the press she and Taako would undoubtedly get. Lup hated it. She just wanted to be left alone during their time of grief. She could hear the attendants outside of her room, asking if she wanted to witness the portrait of the queens covered in mourning cloth, since she wouldn’t be attending the funeral. She gave them a resounding no and soundproofed the room so they wouldn’t hear her sobs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako hated that he was here alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fifteen-year-old looked small, standing before his people beside the queens’ burial stones. He held Maureen’s umbrella in a death grip as their rites of remembrance were read. He couldn’t.. recall ever feeling this hollow. Not in a very long time. It was that permanence of loneliness, of nobody ever sticking around, of them all being walking dust anyway. Why should he care anymore if everyone who loved him was gone? Of course, Lup’s was a more metaphorical loss, he hadn’t truly lost his sister, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>goddamn</span>
  </em>
  <span> if it didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> that way. She didn’t even come to the funeral.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Years passed, and even through the legal hubbub, Taako and Lup didn’t talk about it once. The documents they had to sign, the roles they had to take on, the decision of who would become monarch- and not once did they have the guts to start the conversation about the overwhelming grief they shared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They came to the decision that Lup would become the queen of Starblast at 21. A coronation would be held, she would be crowned, and from there, assumedly, she’d find a suitor. They discussed the logistics of it over tea for a few days, and it was the closest semblance of a relationship that Taako had felt with her in a long while. But that time came and went, and as the years approached to 21, they found themselves not talking again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The twins’ birthday was to be celebrated at the coronation party as well. It was only a few weeks away from Candlenights, the first snow of the season having fallen a month ago. Taako, well- he felt a jumbled mix of feelings about the party. Anxiety, excitement, hesitation, and so much more. He tried to look at the bright side, though: at least the gates would finally be open to the public! He could interact with the people again!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup, on the other hand, was </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> experiencing anxiety. It was near Candlenights, and her birthday, but those things had been unimportant for long before the time 21 came around. Those two events weren’t the issue. She was afraid of losing control on the day of the coronation. She didn’t want to hurt the one closest to her. But she knew she had to push all of this down, and make her debut to the people as clean and regal as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The day finally came around, and it was a flurry of activity in the castle. The hustle and bustle of today was getting everyone (of course, excluding the twins) excited, especially as the dignitaries from other countries of Faerun began to arrive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Duke Brian of the Underdark stood impatiently, clicking his heels together and waiting at the gate. “Ooh, I am getting so jittery,” he talked to his entourage. The guards stood close by at attention, but didn’t really seem much for conversation. “Ve are finally getting ze sneak peak at our most mysterious trade partner, Starblast! Open zeze gates, you fiends, so ve may unlock your secrets and exploit your riches!” the drow spoke aloud, laughing mischievously until he caught himself. “Did I just say zis out loud? I am just confused, zey cut off our communications years ago, I vould just like to haff answers,” he corrected sheepishly to anyone who may have heard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Other folks spoke nearby, clueless to Brian’s ramblings. “Oh, me sore eyes can't wait to see the Queen and the Prince! I bet they're absolutely lovely,” one woman spoke, and the other grinned at her. “I bet they are beautiful,” he agreed. Most of the conversation to be had outside of the gates was along the same lines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A raven flew past the castle with a caw, settling on Taako’s windowsill. Inside, he snored, oblivious to the noise. He looked to be in the most uncomfortable of positions, sprawled across the whole bed like a hogging jackass, not that he had anybody to be stealing mattress space from. The iconic red umbrella that had become his own was tucked under the sheets, whereas he was sprawled on top of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prince Taako?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The knocking at his door roused him, and he shot up from where he’d been sleeping soundly. He had major bedhead, that signature red streak falling right in front of his face. He coughed a bit, and pulled said red hair out of his mouth. “..huh? Yes, who is it?” the elf called to the door, yawning wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry to wake you, sir, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako cut off the attendant, rubbing his eyes. “No, no, you didn’t, I’ve- I’ve been up for hours.” He moved his legs to the side of the bed, stretching wide. “What’s the- the occasion, huh?” he asked between another yawn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your sister’s coronation, Prince Taako.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rubbed at the space between his eyes, huffing and reaching for his spellbook on the side table. “You’re shittin’ me..” He leafed through it for a moment, eyes skimming the pages until he got to the most recent entry, yesterday. </span>
  <span>“LUP is QUEEN tmo! get ready early u bitch”</span>
  <span> was written in sparkly purple pen, and Taako hummed a note before closing it once again.”Uh, okay, yeah,” he spoke to the attendant at the door, standing and stretching again. “I’ll be right out. Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took around thirty minutes to get himself ready, the most time spent on his hair. It was curly, more so than usual since he’d had it braided for a couple days. He moved the curls into a low ponytail, bringing pieces from the side to frame his face. Using Disguise Self, his own version of arcane cosmetics, he made himself look handsome as hell for the day to come. Now satisfied with his eyeliner looking fuckin’ mint, he got dressed in the outfit he’d laid out the night prior.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked like a proper prince for one of the first times, aside from any short public appearances he’d made prior to this. He had on the traditional red Starblastian cape, the insignia with the rainbow of dots on his chest. He wore a white dress shirt with bishop sleeves, his favorite for nice occasions, and a pair of deep blue harem pants. Flowy, but elegant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako grinned brightly at himself in the mirror, almost a test-run, if you will, and grabbed his notebook. He tucked it in the gold sash around his waist, humming excitedly now as he got himself psyched up for today. Fuck it. There was no need to be worried about his social skills, or talking with Lup again- everything would be chill. He had charm, and panache, and a baller personality.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Today would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>easy</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>as someone with a shitty memory who uses notes to help out everyday, I wanted that good, sweet taako representation ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Taako has a meet cute. Lup is the queen of Starblast today, on their 21st birthday. Feelings on both sides get hurt.<br/>Taako and Lups Coronation outfits: <a href="https://imgur.com/gallery/CrFmZaj">Imgur Link :p</a></p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Today was not going to be easy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup had the ritual on loop in her head the entire day, pacing about her room. Pick up the.. weird scepter thing. Hold the.. tiny ornament looking thing. She had learned at some point what the two were, what they symbolized and why she held them for the ceremony, but that evaded her now. All she knew was the second that she picked up those pieces of metal, they were gonna fuckin melt in her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> she had to take the gloves off. She wouldn't be nearly as worried about the whole thing if she could just skip that bit! Though her nails looked killer in red under these gloves, it wouldn't be befitting of a queen to just, yknow. Melt some precious artefacts or what-have-you in front of a crowd of dignitaries, even if you had amazing nails.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just wished Maureen or Lucretia were here. They kept her strong during those days that she missed Taako, the days where all she wanted to do was give up. She never did, and it was only thanks to them. But she wouldn't be getting crowned anyway if those circumstances hadn't occurred, so they wouldn't even be here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever. She was getting sidetracked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup took a look at her outfit in the mirror, and.. well, she couldn't help but smile a little bit at that. Her image reminded her of Taako sometimes, even if it was stupid because of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course</span>
  </em>
  <span> they shared the same </span>
  <em>
    <span>reflection</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But seeing it, some days, made her feel a little bit less lonely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at herself, making some minute changes like fixing her updo. It was beautifully braided, the way that she used to love wearing it as a kid. Oh, and the gown.. the coronation dress looked simply stunning. A deep royal blue at the bottom, fading to purple at the top, and the arm-length magenta gloves complimented it perfectly. Of course, the red cape adorned her figure, the identical patch on her chest that Taako had as well.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As nervous as she was about today, she knew it had to begin at some point, fuck. She pulled the long gloves up as high as they’d go, took a deep breath, and headed out the door. She schooled her visage into something more calm and stern, walking toward the front of the castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell the guards to open up the gates.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost as soon as they opened, Taako was outside of them. He’d been waiting by the front entrance to the castle, grinning nervously all the while, until finally he was given entry. The gates swung open wide, letting in a small burst of snowflakes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was outside of the castle grounds. Boy howdy, was this a good feeling. He laughed now, like a joke in private that only he understood, and hopped up onto the side wall of the connecting bridge. He ran along it, passing by dukes and nobles and whatever the hell else, not giving a shit about their opinions because he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>free</span>
  </em>
  <span>, baby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako just kept going, taking in the crisp winter air, not even caring that it bit against his cheeks. “Woo!” he shouted and laughed, jumping down into the street and weaving past people. He wanted to experience it all, see what new people he could meet, see what the day had to offer before the coronation!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the next person that he met was by complete accident.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In his excitement, he didn't watch where he was going, and- with a startled yelp, he got bumped toward the docks by a horse. “Woah, </span>
  <em>
    <span>woah-</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he stumbled across, and nearly fell into the frozen fjord, until.. a hand caught his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeez, man, can you watch where you're going?” growled the person who’d grabbed hold of him, and Taako flushed pink. He allowed the hand to help him all the way up, and when he steadied himself on the edge of the dock, he saw the gentleman with the horse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, dear,” Taako mumbled, because holy fuck was this dude attractive. His ears flickered, suddenly feeling- shy? What? Taako didn't get shy. Sure, his people skills weren't entirely up to par after years isolated in a castle, but.. he didn't think he’d be absolutely breathless at the first hot dude he saw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gentleman leveled a glare at him, and for a sec it looked like the guy was about to curse Taako out. Or, at least, he was going to, until a flash of recognition came to his face. “My- oh, shit, you're- my apologies, your majesty,” the man floundered, getting off his high horse metaphorically and literally. “My sincerest apologies, you are Prince Taako, correct? I am Prince Sazed of Glamour Springs, I’m terribly sorry to have made your acquaintance in such a manner,” he spoke as he kneeled before Taako.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako felt his blush deepen and he put his hands on his hips, feigning confidence. “Yeah, better be, punk. Looked like you were about to chew me a new one after </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> bumped into </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he laughed. “But nah, fella, don't worry about it. No hard feelings on my end,” he said with a grin. The snow flurried softly around them. “Lucky you, it was just me and not my sister, queen Lup..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The half elf who’d introduced himself as Sazed looked up at Taako. “Just you?” He stood again, brushing off his knees where he’d been in the snow. “Well, I wouldn't consider this encounter to be any less thrilling, even though it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>just you</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he said, and extended a hand to Taako.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde smirked and placed his hand in the other’s, and Sazed’s gloved hand held on as he leaned down and kissed it. Taako then wolf whistled and laughed, his breath easily visible in the cold air. “Oh, what a charmer. You do this for every prince you nearly knock into a frozen lake?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got a genuine laugh out of Sazed, and Taako felt proud at the accomplishment. “No, no, you're the first.. but really, I do apologize, I really should've been watching where I was going. It was my mistake to run into such a breathtaking man at this time of day,” the Glamour Springs ambassador spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, trust me, I wouldn't- I wouldn't call this a mistake,” the blonde laughed. Taako would've </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved</span>
  </em>
  <span> to continue this little convo, but the ringing of the bells in town square made him stand up a bit straighter. “Oh, shit! Sorry, handsome, but we’ll have to put this on pause! Catch you at the after party! Toodles!” He waved and ran back toward the chapel.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lup stood at the altar, ears pinned to her head as she took deep, pseudo-calm breaths. Taako, having just rushed in a moment ago, stood off to one side. He was still catching his breath a little bit, hands fidgeting anxiously as he tried not to show it. He took a peek out to the audience, looking until he spotted the gentleman he’d just met.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed spared a small wave at him from the pews, not wanting to distract him for too long. Taako smiled back, thankful for the reassurance, and turned his attention back to the ceremony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crown, held by a bishop, was placed on Lup's head as she leaned down. The scepter and orb were then presented to Lup on a pillow. She slowly reached for them, ready to get this over and done with, until-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your Majesty,” the bishop whispered, “-the gloves?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup held her breath. She hesitated, hands quivering. She breathed nervously, smiling at the man in thanks as she removed her gloves. She placed them gently on the pillow, swapping them out for the orb and scepter, then turned to the people. The bishop continued the ceremony, chanting in a language that Lup didn’t recognize.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The scepter and orb started to warp, barely, around the edges. They started to change color as the metal heated quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We now behold Queen Lup of Starblast,” the bishop finished, smiling at the crowd as they repeated his words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Queen Lup of Starblast!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just in time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup managed to set the orb and scepter back down on the pillow before anyone noticed the heated metal. She picked up her gloves haphazardly and slipped them on, feeling infinitely more comfortable as she did so. She made it. Lup bristled a bit as she felt Taako hug her tightly from the side, but managed an anxious smile at her brother’s antics. “C’mon, Koko, get off. Not right now,” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her brother blinked and pulled away, grinning sheepishly. “Sorry, sorry, I’m just- I’m excited for you, is all. This is so great,” he said, and was about to continue until she was being ushered away by some of the castle staff. His grin fell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup took one last glance at him, giving an apologetic wave as she headed out with them. “Sorry, Taako! I’ll see you tonight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He forced a smile for her sake and waved back, his heart hurting. He couldn’t even interact with her on one of the most important days of their life.. Of course.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Springy music filled the Great Hall, evening finally having arrived. Guests danced, ate, and laughed with each other. It was a pretty bustling event, the dignitaries from other countries rightfully having a good time. Their heads all turned to the door as the trumpets sounded, and a gentleman with a stuffy voice called out the royals as they arrived. “Queen Lup and Prince Taako of Starblast!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup entered, poised and looking surprisingly content. She walked to stand beneath a formal awning. Taako followed quietly into the room, and sort of waved at his sister awkwardly. The attendant ushered him over to stand right next to Lup. “Oh, uh, h-here? Are you sure?” he asked, but wasn’t graced with a response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Lup sneaked awkward peeks at each other. After a sec, Lup spoke. “Hi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako balked. “Oh, uh- hi! Sorry, I didn’t know if we were actually allowed to, like, talk, or whether we just had to stand here like fuckin’ idiots,” he mumbled, laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...You look beautiful, Taaks,” she smiled, fond and proud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, uh, natch, you know it. You, uh, you do too! I’m really diggin the gradient on the dress, you transmute that yourself?” he asked, ears perked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Course I did, goofus,” she laughed gently. “Thank you.” The two went quiet, looking out at the celebration together. She hummed. “So, this is what a party looks like, huh? Shame we haven’t been able to do this before..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It's a lot warmer than I thought,” Taako mused. “And not just cause we’ve got the heat cranked with the damn winter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And, oh, that smell.. It’s not nearly as good as your cooking, I smell that a lot, with the kitchen being just down the hall, but.. You can tell they worked hard today.” They both closed their eyes and inhaled the wonderful scent. Upon realizing they did it at the same time, their eyes popped open, and they bursted out laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup looked back out at the party with a warm smile, Taako’s eyes still on her. He.. he wanted to say so much, but he can't think of where to start. Just as he was about to find the words, they were interrupted by an attendant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your Majesties. The Duke of the Underdork.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Underdark. Ze Duke of ze Underdark,” clarified Brian, grinning at the two elves as he bowed to them. He stood back at full attention, realizing he was a little shorter than the twins. He cleared his throat and extended an arm to Lup. “Your Majesty, as your closest partner in trade, it seems only fitting zat I offer you your first dance as ze queen, ja?” As he held out his hand, head down, the twins took a look at his strange spider tabard. As though both asking “what the hell is with that?”, the twins met eyes. Taako snickered. Lup stifled a giggle herself, seeing her brother’s reaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My apologies.. Brian, right? Thank you for the offer, truly, but.. I don't dance,” Lup said cordially.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Duke Brian’s purple skin turned a darker hue at his face, looking almost offended at the dismissal. “Oh...?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could protest, Lup grinned. “But my brother, Taako, does.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako looked to her in surprise, the tips of his ears reddening. “I- What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, lucky you,” Brian spoke then, confidence restored as he looped his arms in Taako’s. The elf prince laughed anxiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, n-no, I don't think-” Taako was interrupted as Brian started pulling him out onto the dance floor, and clutched tighter to his wizard hat. He looked back at Lup, desperately, mouthing “help”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup laughed softly, crossing her arms. “Sorry,” she mouthed back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out on the dance floor, Brian was trying to showboat, but was making an awful go of it. Taako flushed red, not out of attraction but of embarrassment. He should blast this fool’s ass halfway back to the Underdark, but that wouldn’t look very great in front of the visiting countries, so.. he tried to make the best of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Prince Taako,” Brian spoke with a grin, moving one of his long silver hairs from his face, “It is so great to have ze castle gates open, ja? Pray tell, vy did zey shut zem in ze first place? Do you know ze reason? Hmm?” He got all up in Taako’s face, clearly suspicious. Okay. Huge boundary overstepping, odd conversation, red flags, Taako.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, no. I don’t, and I’m pretty sure it’s none of your business, Bry. Can I call you Bry? Great, I thought so,” Taako spoke, ears pinned to his head. “Great conversation, Bry-guy. Uh, don’t- don’t hit me up for another dance unless the place is on fire, kay?” He gave a curt wave and headed back over to his sister, who was now laughing her ass off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup grinned knowingly, stifling her laughter now. “Well, he was sprightly, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako laughed. “Especially for a man in heels, like ch’boy. And quite the conversationalist.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup bumped arms with her brother affectionately. “You okay, though?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako loved the attention, finally happy to be spending quality time with his sister. Not under any bad circumstances, hanging out at a party.. It felt fantastic. God, he’d missed her so much. He felt awful for the resentment he’d held toward her during his teen years, where he didn’t know how to handle the loneliness. “I've.. never been better,” he spoke truthfully. “This is so nice. I wish it could be like this all the time, Lulu.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup’s sad smile said it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too, Taaks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then Lup caught herself. She stiffened up, looking away. “But it can't.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako frowned, looking back at her. “Why not? Lup, if-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It just can't, Taako.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt the rising pressure in his chest, his fists clenching. For a moment, he wished he had the umbrella. To avoid getting emotional, he cleared his throat. “If you’ll excuse me,” he mumbled. The prince strode away, not even bothering with a wave. Lup watched him go, a forlorn look on her own face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving through the crowd toward the exit, Taako got bumped by a bowing gentleman's rear end. “Woah-” he fell forward, expecting to collide face-first with the floor, until-. Prince Sazed caught him in his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled perfectly. “Glad I caught you around,” the half-elf laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Sazed-! Shit, I- sorry for, uh, dropping in,” Taako joked right back, grinning like an idiot as he was set straight. He watched as Sazed smoothly set his drink down on a passing tray. He gestured toward the dance floor with a sweep of his arm, and Taako smirked right back. “Go for it, handsome!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taako and Sazed drank and chatted throughout the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I often had the whole parlor to myself to fuck around, and- Oh, jeez, I- sorry!” He hit Sazed in the face by mistake with his hand as he gesticulated, maybe a bit tipsy. Sazed only laughed, taking the hand he had been hit with and giving it a light kiss, to Taako’s delight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The doors to the back of the Great Hall opened as the two left the bustle of the party. “ -and your physique helps, I'm sure,” Taako laughed, more flirty as the alcohol worked it’s magic. The pair walked down the stairs toward the snowy rose garden. The two were both wrapped up in Taako’s red robe, as the snow gently fell around them. The night air was cold, and they could both see their clouds of breath as they cuddled together for warmth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed smiled, about to quip back until he noticed the red streak in Taako’s hair, which had fallen into his face. He gently reached forward and cupped the section of hair with a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s this, Taako?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was born with it, I think, but I dreamt I was fucked up by some old witch,” Taako explained, knowing it sounded kinda stupid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed smiled. “I like it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay wait, wait. So you have </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> many brothers?” Taako asked, still super buzzed even though it was later in the night. The party was winding down just a bit, and the two stood at the balcony, arm in arm in the cold. The snow had picked up a bit, but they didn’t care. They loved the time alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Twelve older brothers. Three of them pretended I had an invisibility curse on, literally, for two years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That's horrible, man! Jeezy creezy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It's what brothers do, hm? Don’t you play pranks on your sister?” Sazed asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, uhm..” Taako paused, and cleared his throat. “Lup and I were really close when we were little, but.. one day she just shut me out, and I never knew why,” he spoke, one of his patented Out Of The Blue Taako Honesties.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed took his hand and leaned in close, seizing on the moment of vulnerability.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would never shut you out, Taako.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako stared into his eyes, feeling the heat on his cheeks before averting his eyes. This guy looked at him like he hung the goddamn moon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay, can I just.. Can I say something crazy?” Taako asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love crazy,” Sazed smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I.. listen. I’ve always had fuckin’ doors shut in my face. But now I bump into you, and like.. You’re not like that at all. You’re sweet. You’re genuine,” Taako began. “And I’m.. I really love that about you, Saz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed smirked. “Yeah, Taako, I.. I get it. My, uhm, my brothers, they were pretty shit.. I’ve been searching for so long for a place I could call my own, but, well- here, with you, right now.. I feel like I’ve found my place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s ears fluttered and he smiled brightly. “Aw, thanks, handsome.. The, uh, the feeling is mutual.” The elf leaned in closer, taking off his hat so it wouldn’t get in the way as he rested his head on Sazed’s chest. This was his first experience with new love.. This was way past a dumb crush, and he knew it, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt </span>
  </em>
  <span>like this one was different, even if he knew he was drunk. He felt it all swell up in this moment, and his breath hitched and he knelt down in the cold snow and-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sazed? Can I say something crazy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed blinked, grinning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you marry me?” Taako finished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Prince of Glamour Springs took his hands. He didn’t even have to do the proposing himself, huh?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I say something even crazier, Taako?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taako pushed through the crowd towards Lup, Sazed in tow. He bumped into some folks, smiling awkwardly at people as he apologized. “Oops! Pardon us, sorry- Can we just- can we get around you there? Thank you. Oh, there she is- Lup!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup turned to her brother, looking awfully tired but still cordial enough to smile at him. Taako bowed awkwardly, not knowing if he had to now that she was queen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lulu, uh- uhm, I mean.. Queen.. Lup. Hi again, uhm-.. May I present to you, Prince Sazed of Glamour Springs,” Taako stumbled over his words. She noticed the red in his cheeks.. Was he drunk?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your Majesty,” Sazed bowed to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup gave a polite but reserved curtsey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We would like-” Taako began, and Sazed cut him off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-your blessing-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-of-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-our marriage!” the two finished at the same time, bright matching grins on their faces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup stared her brother in the eyes, unbelieving. “Marriage, Taako?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” he said back excitedly, ears up high in elation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I'm.. sorry, I'm.. confused?” Lup said, eyeing the gentleman Taako had chosen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Lulu, w-we actually haven't worked out all the details ourselves. We'll need a few days to plan the marriage, uhm- of course we'll have soup, roast, ice cream and I’ll do all th-the cooking, natch, and then-” he turned to Sazed. “Wait. Would- would we live here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup looked more and more worried for her brother by the second. “Here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely!” Sazed smiled, hands still held in Taako’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup’s fists clenched. “Taako-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako interrupted her. “Oh, we- we can invite all twelve of your brothers to stay with us for the wedding-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No, no, no, no, no, Taako-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course we have the room! I don't know. Some of them must-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup hit her boiling point. “Taako, slow down. No one's brothers are staying here. No one is getting married.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako balked, face still flush with drunkenness as he looked at her. “Wait, what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May I talk to you, please? Alone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako saw Sazed's worried face, and hooked arms with him. “I.. No. Fuck that. W-whatever you have to say, you- you can say to both of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. You can't marry a man you just met.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> if it's true love,” Taako growled, eyes narrowing at his sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup met his eyes with an equally fiery glare. “Taako, what the hell do you know about true love?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I'm 21, Lup, same as you! You're not the only one who's an adult here; I probably know more than you! A-all you know is how to shut people out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her hands were shaking with rage. How could he do something like this? “You asked for my blessing, Taako, but my answer is </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Now, excuse me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed felt the tension and held Taako’s hands tighter. “Your Majesty, if I may ease your-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup growled. “No, you may</span>
  <em>
    <span> not</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I think you should leave my brother be.” She walked away from her fuming brother, passing by one of the attendants. She turned to the man, announcing loudly. “The party is over. Close the gates.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Lup, no- no, just wait!” Taako ran forward, grabbing Lup's wrist. He pulled off Lup's glove in the process, shaking. Lup gasped, spinning around and reaching for the glove in panic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taako, give me my glove!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He held the glove away from Lup, trembling. He looked desperate. “Lup, gods, please- please! I-I can’t live like this anymore! You used to say </span>
  <em>
    <span>outcast but never alone</span>
  </em>
  <span>! What happened to that, huh? I’m just</span>
  <em>
    <span> alone</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Then leave. Go with Sazed.” She regretted it almost as soon as she said it. She faltered at seeing Taako's hurt face, and.. It was too much. She couldn’t hold it in. She turned and rushed away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only thing that stopped her was hearing Taako sniffle.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What did I ever do to you?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>obligatory "Fuck Sazed" for this chapter *kiss emoji*</p><p>also! if the pic didn't load cause its shitty, use the link at the beginning</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lup goes on the run. Taako sobers up real quick. A familiar face is encountered at a rest stop.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“What did I ever do to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The party went silent as everyone watched the twins. Lup’s hands shook imperceptibly, her ears flickering and pinning back. “Enough, Taako. We’re done here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, we're not, Lup!” Taako shouted back, looking an absolute wreck in the middle of this goddamn party. He was not going to back down. “Why do you shut me out, Lup?! Why do you shut the world out?! What are you so </span>
  <em>
    <span>afraid</span>
  </em>
  <span> of?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said </span>
  <em>
    <span>enough</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flames shot from Lup’s ungloved hand, creating a wall of fire across the floor to separate her and Taako. The guests cried out in shock, backing away in fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Duke Brian gasped, watching on. “..Elemental magicks? I knew zere vas something dubious going on here!” He glared in Taako’s direction, sneering. “How about zat dance now, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako was absolutely stunned. He..he knew his shit. He knew magic, the ins and outs of it, and he recognized the </span>
  <em>
    <span>instant</span>
  </em>
  <span> she cast it that this wasn’t Prestidigitation. That was real-ass fire, not just a trick of the eyes, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>his sister cast that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His eyes locked with hers, perhaps not in fear, but in astonishment. “Lup?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup rushed out of the room without a second thought. She bursted out of the castle doors, out into the courtyard, and where the citizens had amassed in the snow. They all began to cheer as they saw her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carey, standing arm in arm with her girlfriend, grinned. Their gloved hands held tightly to one another. “There she is, Kills!” She whooped and shouted. “Long live the queen! Queen Lup! Come drink with the townsfolk!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup ducked through the bundled up crowd, clutching her bare hand tightly as she ran.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Killian frowned in concern, watching her go. “Queen Lup?” she called after the elf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another one of the citizens stopped her as Lup went to go past them. It was Julia Waxmen, the daughter of the most renowned craftsmen in the town. Lup could recognise her from the furniture deliveries she’d made at the castle. “Your Majesty?” the woman asked softly. “Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup backed away from Jules, tripping over her feet. She knocked into the fountain, grabbing at its edge. The freezing water began to bubble and boil violently over the sides, reaching out toward the crowd. Gasps of shock and fear swept over them, people backing away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Duke of the Underdark and his associates came running out the door. “Zere she is! Stop her!” he commanded, a Magic Missile charging at his fingertips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup’s breathing was heavy, tears surfacing in her eyes as everything fell apart around her. “Please, just- just stay away from me. S-stay away!” Magic accidentally shot from her hand and turned the staircase into the bubbling black glass that hardened as it hit the cold air. The thugs and the Duke fell, and- this seemed to scare the shorts off of Brian.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Monster.... Monster!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The snow stopped falling almost instantaneously. The people looked around, shocked by this, and.. watched as rain began to fall in its stead. The droplets were hot, creating steam as they hit the snow on the ground. The visibility of the courtyard clouded up fast, and in the fog, Lup fled to the gates. Taako ran out of the palace doors, holding Lup’s glove tight in his hands. “Lulu!” Sazed followed closely behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup ran out of the kingdom gates and down to the water's edge, where she was watching the frozen fjord thaw over from the boiling rain. The shoreline began to bubble, hiss, and transform into black glass under her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako trembled and casted a Light spell as he ran through the fog with Sazed, now calling to Lup from the gates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lu! Wait, please-!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup glanced back at her twin, but turned away. She tentatively stepped out over the hot water of the fjord. It glassed over instantly. She broke into a run as the water glassed over with each step.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gods, Lup, please- stop!” Taako shouted, rushing out onto the black glass. He did his best, but- as graceful as he was in heels, this was not a great situation. He hissed in pain as he slipped and fell, hands meeting the heated glass. Fuck, it burnt to the touch, and he trembled as he pulled away from the heat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, goodness, Taako,” Sazed shouted in worry, rushing to the prince’s side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup reached the far shore. She didn’t look back. She just scrambled into the mountains, melting the winter snow as she ran.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“..No..” Taako hissed, tears pooling in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed trembled. “Taako.. The fjord,” he pointed out. The black glass was spreading out until the entire fjord was encased in it, locking the ships in place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The burning hot rain fell down </span>
  <em>
    <span>hard</span>
  </em>
  <span>. By the time Sazed and Taako made their way to the courtyard again, they saw that most of the town had already begun to hide in their houses. They weaved through the people who lingered in the crowd. Taako’s mind was racing a mile a minute, ears pinned back tight to his head with anxiety. He’d already wiped his tears, and was trying not to hyperventilate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Are you alright, Taako?” asked his beau, who cupped Taako’s face gently. He seemed awfully concerned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“..No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took Taako a moment before he answered this one, shaking his head. “I.. No. No, I h-had no idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nearby, Duke Brian of the Underdark was stirring shit up. “Look! Zere is fire, and hot glass! It is raining boiling water! Ze queen has curse-ed this land! She must be stopped!” He turned to his thugs, gripping a wand that Taako hadn’t spotted before. “Ve haff to go after her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako rushed up to him, still panicked. “Wait, please, no!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The drow hid behind his thugs and pointed at Taako, not even willing to give the elf a second thought. Venom leaked from his words.”You! Are zere elemental magicks in you, too? Are you a monster, too, elf?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako wilted, huffing. “No. No. I'm- I-I’m a simple idiot wizard, I-I could never.. cast something of this magnitude. I don’t know how she did this.” He steeled his gaze. “...And my sister's </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> a monster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ze voman nearly killed me!” Brian declared, chest all puffed up in indignation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You slipped on glass,” Sazed argued, a hand gesturing toward the black-coated stairs in question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Her</span>
  </em>
  <span> glass!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was an accident,” Taako defended as he stomped his foot. “She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>scared</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She didn't mean it. She didn't mean for any of this to happen tonight.. it was my fault. I pushed her. So I'm the one that needs to go after her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brian growled, foot tapping. “Yes. Fine. Do zis, zen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed blinked. “Wait, Taako, what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako summoned Garyll, his spectral binicorn steed, and began to mount him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taako, no. It's too dangerous, you can’t risk yourself against such powerful magic.. You’re a competent wizard, I’m sure, but this is a whole ‘nother ballgame. You can’t fuck around here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako steeled his visage and huffed. “Look. Lup's not dangerous. I'm going to bring her back to Starblast, and we’re gonna make this right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I'm coming with you. You can’t do this alone. I’m a fighter and a rogue, I’m competent enough to-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Saz, I need you here to take care of the town. Please.. You’re the only one I can count on back here,” Taako said, looking sincerely into his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed frowned, shot down. His half-elf ears flickered, barely noticeable. “Of course. On my honor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako nodded, finally relieved, and summoned his iconic red umbrella to his hand. He slung it on his back, still dressed in the full ensemble for the coronation. “Starblast!” he called out to the people. “I leave Prince Sazed in charge! For now I decree an official shelter in place until the weather stabilizes. It’s dangerous to be outside due to the sweltering conditions. For the visitors of the castle, arrangements shall be made for you to have rooms for the time being. Thank you.” He began to head toward the gate, until he was paused by Sazed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taako.. are you sure you can trust her? I don't want you getting hurt..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elf tucked the red strand of hair behind his ear. “Saz, she’s my sister. She would never hurt me.” With that, he snapped the reins and rode out over the black glass with his spectral steed. Sazed watched after him, frowning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lup reached the peak of the mountain within a few hours, using her elven nightvision to pave the way. Her powers were flaring up the whole way there; creating rivers of lava, catching forests of dead trees aflame, and of course, the lakes of bubbling black glass that were reminiscent of tar. She just couldn’t calm down.. How could she face the kingdom again? How could she fulfill her duty as queen?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How would she face Taako again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was a kingdom she’d built on isolation, and she dug her own fucking grave with that outburst. She had to lie in it. She’d tried to hide these fire abilities for so long, and now she had nothing to hide them behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had </span>
  <em>
    <span>no way to hide them</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well… that was a bit of a double edged sword, wasn’t it? She couldn’t hide her powers anymore. Everyone knew about them now. She.. didn’t have to harbor that constant anxiety- she didn’t have to worry about upsetting Taako. It already happened. What was the worst that could happen from here? She didn’t even have to go back if she didn’t want to, was the thing.. She didn’t have to bother the people of Starblast ever again. Taako was fit to be the king, after all, so why couldn’t he take that place there?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alright. She convinced herself.. this was the best possible course of action. She’d stay up here in the mountains- it was where she could do the least amount of damage, and she could live without the fear of hiding who she was.</span>
  <em>
    <span> This</span>
  </em>
  <span> was who she was. She took a look at that goddamn glove, ears twitching as she threw it off and blasted it with a shot of fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a grin full of renewed confidence, Lup began to raise a castle of her own from the top of the mountain. The lava rock and black glass combo was absolutely astonishing to look at as she built the palace to her delineation. It didn’t look a whole lot like the one she’d been trapped in, down in Starblast all those years- this was her own, and she would make it so. She was testing the limits of her powers and succeeding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup built up the majority of the castle, now standing alone in the throne room. Fuck, it was getting toasty in here, and- and- she loved it. She was in her element. She took off her crown, melting it under her grasp with a little laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt so great.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>liberating</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>shitty</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the early hours of the morning, probably like 1am now as Taako trekked up the mountain. He rode Garyll, panting a bit even though he was barely putting in any of the leg work himself. It was just.. so sweltering hot. It felt like a summer heatwave, and the sun wasn’t even fucking out yet. The elf felt so out of his element it was insane. He wagered a shout up the mountain. “Lup!” he shouted, wiping his brow. “Lup! It's me, Taako...your dumbass brother who didn't mean to make you heat up the winter. I'm sorry. I-it's… it’s all my fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He frowned when, of course, he didn’t get a response. Go figure. He took the moment of quiet to take out his notebook/spellbook, pulling it from the gold sash at his waist. He clicked his glittery purple pen a couple times, then chewing on the end as he wondered what the hell to write down this time. The weight of the previous entry hung over him. “</span>
  <span>LUP is QUEEN tmo!!</span>
  <span>”. He stared at it, nearly zoning out until a jostle from Garyll got him out of it. “Fuck,” he whispered to himself, and began to write.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>U fucked up at party, triggered Lup’s new (new?) fire powers. She ran away from Starblast, u left Sazed &lt;3 in charge. ur going 2 fix ur dumbass mistake</span>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pocketed the notebook and hugged gently onto Garyll’s neck as they rode along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde and his binicorn struggled through a wooded area an hour later, where a glowing river of lava ran down the mountain awfully close to them. The prince had already taken off his red Starblastian cape, and put it into Garyll’s spectral pack. He fed his companion some oats, then taking the time to pull his hair up out of his sweaty-ass face. He frowned, continuing his thoughts aloud. “Of course, none of this would have happened if she'd just.. told me about her magic,” he mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A branch of a nearby tree snapped and startled Garyll. Taako scrambled to hold on until he was thrown off, and yelped as he landed in the dead grass. “Shit, Garyll- no!” he shouted, as the binicorn whinnied and ran away. “Come back!” .. and nothing. Fuck. He had just renewed Garyll’s spell, Phantom Steed, not long ago- his dumbass spectral horse would be screwing around for a whole ‘nother hour before disappearing. Wonderful. He sat up, rubbing his forehead with a grimace. What even made that noise anyway?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He got up, continuing up on foot. He would undoubtedly be walking for several more hours at this rate, and he let out a long groan. “Gods.. Fire shit. It had to be heat magic. Couldn’t have been- been wind, giving a nice breeze, to chill out during the summer, huh? To fly a kite, maybe? Fuck.” Taako struggled, out of breath, reaching the top of a hill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he saw.. purple, magical energy clouds floating up in the distance, beyond the trees. “Oh, shit, what the hell is that-?” The prince put his big ol’ wizarding hat right back on his head as he walked toward it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peeking through the trees, he saw the outline of a building. It looked masterfully crafted, from the outside, and so did the little stable right nearby it. Taako walked up to the building, wiping his brow of sweat. “..hm.” The sign read “The Hammer and Tails: A Dog School”. Curious.. The purple magic shit seemed to be coming out of the chimney here. This was cool enough to check out, at least for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako stepped cautiously through the door- which hit his butt swiftly and knocked him into the center of the shop. It was so much fucking cooler in here than it was outside. He looked around, seeing winter supplies, dog products, and.. Carved furniture?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hail and well met, stranger!” he heard, and whipped to look at the man behind the counter. There stood the bright-faced gentleman who had greeted him. He was a big beefy man beef of a person, with blazing auburn hair and sideburns that stuck out like nothing else. “Welcome to the Hammer and Tails! We’re having a sale, uh, on.. Pretty much all of the winter stuff. Tough times, yknow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako kinda stood there, taking in the gentleman before clearing his throat. He managed a smile. “Yeah, uh, tough times. Hey, uh- I stepped in cause I saw your big purple.. Magic fog shit? What’s the deal with that, huh, care to indulge me?” he asked with a faux-flirty tone, leaning onto the counter now as he looked up at the man. He’d already pulled out his spellbook to write.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man beamed, letting out a big, hearty laugh. “Lovely to meet you too. I see you’re getting straight to the point here,” he smiled. “The magic residue is from a, uh, a spell being casted on the building at all times. It’s a modified version of the spell Tiny Hut, and I use it mostly for protection against the winter weather. Got some backwoods wizard named Garfield to set the magic up so it’s permanent, cause I have no idea about how that stuff works,” he admitted. Taako had been writing this down all the while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm.. That’s a wonderful idea, honestly, and- I guess it seems to work even in summer conditions too, huh? That’s awesome, it must always be a nice atmosphere and temperature in here, if I know Tiny Hut.. and the light is always on, yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Magnus nodded, appreciating his enthusiasm for magic. “Well, traveller, can’t say I expected to see anybody up here asking me about magic at 2am, but I haven’t expected a lot of the things that happened tonight. My name’s Magnus, you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Prince Taako of Starblast,” the elf responded nonchalantly as he continued to scribble down in the notebook. Another bark of laughter startled him out of concentration, and his face reddened as he looked up at the human man. “What? What’s so funny about that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, my man, I just- you seem awfully chill about this, huh?” Magnus smiled, sitting down in the chair behind the counter. It was beautifully crafted. “What brings you up this way, dude?” he asked, seeming awfully ‘chill’ himself for someone who was calling the Prince </span>
  <em>
    <span>dude</span>
  </em>
  <span> and </span>
  <em>
    <span>man</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako held the spellbook with a sad smile. “It has to do with this, uh.. Bullshit weather, I’m afraid. Has a woman who looks identical to me, y’know, the Queen perhaps, passed through this here.. general store/dog training facility/furniture outlet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only one crazy enough to be out in this midnight heatwave is you, Prince Taako.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The front door suddenly blew open and in walked an animated skeleton covered in </span>
  <em>
    <span>literal fucking lava</span>
  </em>
  <span> leaking from it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>bones</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Beside it entered a small boy, perhaps 6 or 7, who despite being dressed very smartly looked incredibly out of place beside the bone dude.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Magnus didn’t seem phased. He saw weird shit all the time, this was nothing out of the blue. “You and these kind folks, here, that is. Hail and well met, friends, and welcome to the Hammer and Tails!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>skeleton</span>
  </em>
  <span> walked into the shop, ignoring the worried protests from the young boy who seemed to be accompanying him. It went right up to where Taako and Magnus stood, impassive to Taako’s freaked out gaze. “Do you have a place we could stay the night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Magnus smiled and nodded at the.. skeleton gentleman, standing back up off of his chair. “Yeah, it’s not the best arrangement, but the stables right next door are being rented out for 5g tonight. You paying for yourself and the boy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Here’s your payment,” the skeleton spoke, summoning a bag of coin into its hands as it counted out the required silver to make the payment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Real strange weather for Candlenights, huh?” Magnus smiled, making casual conversation as the little boy went to stand beside the skeleton. “Where d’ya think the source is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The North Mountain,” the skeleton answered, not missing a beat. Taako, still with his spellbook out a few feet away, flipped to the page he was just on. He wrote the words “</span>
  <span>North Mountain</span>
  <span>” on the page, and circled it a couple times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako felt the need to speak up, and garner any more information that he could while the dude was here. “Hey, uh.. Can you tell me one thing? What was happening on the North Mountain? Did it seem magical?” the Prince asked, holding his pen in one hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The skeleton turned away, not answering the question, but the small boy with him looked conflicted. “Uhm- yes, sir, the heatwave does seem magical in origin,” he began. “I have reason to believe that the source is-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Angus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The half-elf child’s face fell and he bit his lip. “Uhm.. sorry, sirs! I have to go, have a safe evening!” He ran to the door, where the skeleton now stood. The two left, and Taako couldn’t shake the fuckin’ strangeness of the whole situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhm.. what the hell was that?” he asked Magnus once the door had closed. The carpenter/shop owner/dog trainer smiled and laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, you never heard about Kravitz and his boy before?” He shrugged, figuring the answer. “I see em’ around occasionally. They stop here every once in a while, too. Kravitz is a reaper for the goddess of Death, and there’s a lot of necromancy shit up in these here mountains. I thought, at first, that it might have been the necromancers’ doing for all this weather, but then, well, you stopped in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako felt something sorta click, and he frowned. “Wait, wait, wait.. Hold on.” He flipped the pages back in his spellbook, having to go back quite a ways, and stopped on a page.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Hot reaper guy with kiddo. Find out who those necromancers were- origin. Raven Queen- research tomes in library. Astral Plane</span>
  <span>” was written, and never followed up on. Taako bristled and looked up at Magnus. “That guy’s hot?! How is he a skeleton?!” he asked incredulously, absolutely positive that he was remembering the right guy. “How does he go from ruggedly handsome badass to lava skeleton?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Magnus laughed. “I don't have all the answers, y’know. Might be better to catch up and ask him, yeah?” He fished around in his pockets for a moment before pulling out a business card. “Here. If you’re heading out, take my card- I’d love to send ya free carvings when I’m not busy. I have a lot of Starblastian stuff, and I’m sure the castle could always use some more of it,” he said sweetly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako looked surprised by the offer and the way out of the conversation, but then sighed and smiled. “Yeah, thanks, I’ll take you up on that. Thanks for your, uh, help, compadre. I’ll catch you around, hm?” he said, giving a little mock-salute before heading out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was gonna go find out what the fuck was up with that bone boy and his little protégée. If anyone could help him find Lup, it was them, he was sure of it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm,,, so happy to have Angus and Kravitz here now,,, best boyes</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Taako talks about his Recent Decisions. The gang meets someone that shouldn't exist. Garyll comes back home.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Hey, Ghost Rider,” Taako greeted. He was standing at the door to the stable, holding his spellbook tight. The prince smiled at them, trying to be cool about this. It was cool, right? Right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was just gonna ask this freaky reaper skeleton that he recognized from some </span>
  <em>
    <span>seance</span>
  </em>
  <span> he crashed years ago, about the whereabouts of his </span>
  <em>
    <span>queen sister </span>
  </em>
  <span>who sent the country into an </span>
  <em>
    <span>eternal heatwave</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Totally normal. It was even a bit unbearable dealing with the heat just standing outside the stable. The blonde elf felt himself sweating. He never thought he’d wish for bone-chilling weather, but here he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The skeleton gentleman turned his way, looking confused as to why the prince was even there. “Um.. pardon.. us? Is there something you need?” he asked. He and the half-elf child were getting ready to settle in for the night, by the looks of it, and had taken out the blankets and pillows kept in the stables by Magnus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako decided to keep his words neutral, humming in thought. “I.. have a proposition for you. I, uh.. okay- I’m the prince of Starblast, the kingdom down there,” he said. “I want to know </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> you guys know so much about the crisis on the North Mountain, so I can try to stop it. I’d be willing to pay- uh, big, big dividends, for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Angus looked up at his guardian. “Can we please tell him what we know? I know it’s late, but- he needs help, dad,” the boy asked, and if </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> one didn’t throw Taako for a loop. Taako was the one who saw the reaper save that kiddo all those years ago, but he didn’t expect him to take on the role of a father figure. Reaper-dude seemed too imposing, too threatening and terrifying of a creature to be taking care of a child. Especially in the whole </span>
  <em>
    <span>bone form</span>
  </em>
  <span> here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the skeleton just stared at Taako, not answering Angus. “Wait.. then that person we saw was the princess- the queen, rather, on the North Mountain?” he asked, and grimaced. “I knew you looked familiar, but I didn't think you were actually related to that lich. Do you know about what she plans to do, or why she's up there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, that was a bit to process.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako just smiled his most trustworthy smile, of which there were few, and crossed his arms. “How about we discuss this over some food, huh? My name is Taako, by the way, which you didn't bother to ask. I’d also like to know you guys a bit better, especially since I know that you, sir, have a much more handsome form you could be showing off right now,” he said casually, and walked into the stable now. Taako plopped down on the other side of the room, where there was a cauldron presumably for guests. He looked around for viable components to transmute into a meal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The skeleton hesitated, but sighed and- a scythe materialized in his hands. “Sure. Sorry for being curt with you, it's been a long night,” he said, and cut into the air with the weapon. Almost instantly, skin peeled back over his skeleton form, a deep and rich brown. He was.. holy shit, he was just as hot as Taako remembered. He hadn't gotten a good look at his face back then, and boy HOWDY was that a travesty for fifteen-year-old Taako, who now understood what he was missing out on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name is Kravitz.” The reaper stared at Taako with piercing red eyes, and a flawless complexion to boot. Chiseled jaw, beautiful long black dreads tied up in a half-pony, and little gold cuffs interspersed in his hair. Two black raven feathers hung from his ears, and the red tie perfectly complemented those eyes. The whole fancy suit jacket and iron-pressed pants, actually, were one hell of a look. Was he not worried about getting them dirty or something? Either way, the suit made the man for Taako, more than the skeleton form did, and the prince found himself breathless for a moment before clearing his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right, he had someone back in Starblast now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And, uh, that’s your kid, then, Bones?” Taako asked, and the child perked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir! My name is Angus Mcdonald, and I study under mister Kravitz- he’s my adoptive father. I’m so happy that someone has decided to look into this, because although we’re very capable, this power of the Queen’s could turn into something worse if gone unchecked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako raised an eyebrow. “Hold on, you’re speakin’ with a lot of authority for a kiddo, even </span>
  <em>
    <span>if </span>
  </em>
  <span>you're traveling with Mister Ghost Reaper Man. How old are you, even, in human years? You look like you’re, like, what..five? How do you know what’s up with my sister?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don't appreciate the tone to your voice, sir. I’ll have you know, I’m almost seven,” the curly haired boy spoke, arms crossing. Truth be told, even though they weren’t technically related, he definitely looked like he could be Kravitz’s kid. Bright blue eyes, black curly hair, dark skin littered with freckles like Taako’s. He had these huge, round blue glasses that framed his face, and it made sense why the boy was trying to act older- he must be underestimated and dismissed constantly for being a child. “I’ve been working with mister Kravitz for a number of years, I understand the dangers of lichdom and necromancy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s ears flickered and he gave the two of them a look, mixing the food in the cauldron with a stick he’d transmuted to a wooden spoon. “Look. You guys keep bringing up liches and stuff, but- y’know, I’m no idiot either, I know what those are. I’m a magic user. And I’m positive that my sister is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> a lich, that’s not where these powers stem from, I.. I don’t think. I don’t know a lot about her anymore, but I sure as hell know that she didn’t hold some death ritual out in the woods to become immortal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do believe you’re right about the powers themselves not being necromantic in origin,” Kravitz said, continuing to set up Angus’s bed for the night, “-but Angus and I were nearby when she began to wreck the environment up here. She passed by us on her way up, but I don’t think she saw us- she seemed distracted by what her magic was doing. I would’ve tailed after her, but I saw that necromantic energy and knew that I had to get Angus out of there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid fumed. “Dad, I told you I would be fine! She’s just one lady, and- and I’ve gone with you on bounties before, I could’ve helped you! We could have calmed her down and gotten her to explain herself. Even perps don’t hurt children, and I can’t even get hurt anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kravitz sighed. “Angus Mcdonald, we are not having this conversation again. Just because you’re undead, as I am, does</span>
  <em>
    <span> not</span>
  </em>
  <span> mean you can’t get hurt. The Raven Queen gives you certain abilities, as one of her Reapers in training. You’re still growing, and you’re gonna become an adult, but only because she </span>
  <em>
    <span>allows </span>
  </em>
  <span>that. If you somehow get injured beyond repair with this body, then she can’t help you anymore. You’d no longer be able to become a Reaper, Angus, and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold, uh, hold your horses here, for real,” Taako interjected, arms crossed. “My sister would not hurt him, whether she was lich or not. That’s not something we have to worry about, here. But seriously, kiddo, you shouldn’t just think that </span>
  <em>
    <span>nobody</span>
  </em>
  <span> would hurt a child, cause that’s not true,” he made a gesture with his hands, a bit frustrated. “There are plenty of shitty- or, uhm- uh, bad people out there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you don't have to restrict yourself from cursing, sir, I know them all,” Angus said, but rolled his eyes when Kravitz glanced at him. ‘What? It’s fine! I’m old enough t-” And the two looked like they were going to keep arguing about that, but after a second Angus stopped. “Wait.. what is that smell?” He turned Taako’s way. “Is that your cooking, sir-?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako grinned and laughed. “What, do I finally gotch’er attention off of something not terrible?” he laughed, and was already spooning beef stew into a couple bowls. “I just transmuted some ingredients out of the shit I found lying around. Some pinecones to meat, whatever kind of fuckin’ leaves</span>
  <em>
    <span> these </span>
  </em>
  <span>are to bay leaves, couple of sticks to carrots.. It’s not hard. But I know I haven’t eaten tonight, and maybe you guys haven’t either, hm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Kravitz could answer for them, Angus smiled brightly and stood up to join Taako on the other side of the stables. “Thank you so much, sir! I’m starving!” The child gently took one of the bowls offered to him. He sat and began to practically shove it into his mouth. “C’mon, dad, you should grab some too!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kravitz scowled, but stood up. “Okay, I will.. But this conversation isn’t over, Angus. Don’t keep throwing yourself into danger. Seriously.” He walked over, sitting beside his son and grabbing a bowl for himself. “Thank you very much, by the way, for the food. I wasn’t kidding about it being a long day..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it, handsome. But, seriously though, I do.. need some information from you guys.” Taako sighed, but forced his best princely smile. “I need to know where exactly on the North Mountain you saw my sister, because I think I’m the only one who could.. get her to stop this shit, really. I don’t know what this magic is or how she has it, but it’s my fault that she blew up tonight. The kingdom is hot as hell, just like up here, and I think it’s only getting worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you don’t mind my asking, sir,” Angus began between enthusiastic bites, “-what happened that made her powers go haywire?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s eyebrows knitted together in frustration. “Well.. truth be told, it really was all my fault. I got engaged but then she freaked out because I'd only just met him, you know, today. And she said she wouldn't bless the marriage-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kravitz’s look and startled laughter said it all. “Wait. You got engaged to someone you just met?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako huffed. “Yeah. Anyway, I got pissed and she got pissed and then she tried to walk away, like </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and I grabbed her glove-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang on. You mean to tell me you got engaged to someone you</span>
  <em>
    <span> just met</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!” Kravitz repeated, incredulous. “You’re not joking?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Bones, I don’t joke about that shit, pay attention. The thing is, she wore the gloves all the time, so I just thought, maybe she has a thing about dirt, I know I kinda do too,” Taako shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn't your parents ever warn you about strangers, sir?” asked Angus, in a smartass way that only he could pull off without being punched. He laid his empty bowl down beside the elf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The prince rolled his eyes and laid back against the wall. “Yes, they did.... But Sazed isn’t a stranger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taako, what's his last name?” Kravitz asked, deadpanned visage staring at Taako blankly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Of-Glamour-Springs?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What's his favorite food?” Angus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...30 clove garlic chicken.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“His best friend's name?” Kravitz’s arms were crossed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably Johann.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eye color,” said Angus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I assume, uh, brown?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Foot size...?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Foot size doesn't- it doesn’t matter,” Taako mumbled, beginning to get fed up. “Look, none of it matters; it's true love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn't sound like true love,” Angus replied, adjusting his glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what are you two, huh? Some sort of love experts? God, I don’t need this. I just wanted help finding my sister, and now I’m getting lectured by two losers who work for Death.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, fine. We can be done with this. But I don't trust your judgement,” Kravitz assessed, standing up straight and stretching. “I was going to have Angus sleep, but I don’t think you can make it to the top of this mountain by yourself, let alone to face off against a lich. We’re going with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s face flushed red. “Oh, well fuck me, I guess, hm? Jeez, dudes, I made it all this way just fine! I’m- I may not be the most threatening silhouette, but I like to think of myself as somebody who can stand up for myself, too, so.. Screw off. I’m a fuckin’ idiot, but I’m not defenseless,” the elf grumbled, his long ears pinned to his head. “I.. I will accept your company, but only because guards are befitting of a prince such as myself.” He stood up too, brushing off his outfit. “And like I said. My sister isn’t dangerous. We’ll all be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kravitz gave a deep sigh and started to help cleaning up. “Sure. We’ll see when we get to that point, then, Prince Taako. For now, we ought to concentrate on making our way up there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kravitz, Angus and Taako walked along a narrow rim of the mountain, snowless trees surrounding them. Ango, despite the heat, was all bundled up, Taako having transmuted his little warm jacket into something a lot cooler for the weather. For a kid who was up WAY past his bedtime, he seemed to be staying awake just fine. Perhaps it was the fact that he now had a hearty meal in his stomach, or perhaps it was the dawn that was now allowing them to see just fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they came up on a clearing, wide-awake little Angus was the first to see down the mountain. “Sirs! Look!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they stepped out of the thick trees, Taako caught sight of the same thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s.. Starblast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s completely covered in storms and fog..” Ango said, mind whirring. “It’s the presence of the snow, all of that moisture heating up at such a rapid temperature..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...But it’ll be fine. Lup will fix it,” Taako spoke, holding his notebook tight. He’d been in the middle of chronicling this part of the journey. “</span>
  <span>Reaper boy and peewee sidekick are helping! No leads yet</span>
  <span>,” read the text.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taako, will she?” Kravitz asked cautiously, eyes narrowed at the stormy kingdom below.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This one caught Taako off guard. It.. had been a solid fifteen years. He.. didn’t really know anymore. He didn’t know her. But she was his sister.. “Yeah,” the blonde spoke, “Now come on. This way up the North Mountain, right?” he asked, pointing straight ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kravitz sighed. “Yeah, let’s get going, I guess. Ango, you want to take my hand?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, mister Kravitz.” The little boy yawned and took his guardian’s hand, earning a flushed gaze from Taako. This reaper guy was just.. Man, he was making Taako doubt himself. Sure, he had Sazed down in Starblast now, but, like.. Damn. There were times like this where Taako knew for SURE he was gay. Ango caught Taako’s eye and smiled, sticking his tongue out at the prince.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako cleared his throat and headed out ahead of them, not about to catch any flak from some kid about making goo-goo eyes at his father. He pulled at his collar a bit, ready to just blame it on the hot weather, but a drip on his forehead distracted him from that whole train of thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were coming up on some willow trees, and they were dripping water like crazy. All of the moisture was being sucked out of them.. Another lava stream tore through the earth a number of yards away. The hanging branches of the willows above them glistened almost like Candlenights lights, looking gorgeous with the morning colors and the sunrise. Taako stood still for a moment, admiring the scenery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never knew summer could be so beautiful..” he remarked, and almost as soon as he said it he regretted it. His ears perked up in alarm as he heard an unfamiliar voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it can be, but it can also be kind of dangerous when this all eventually turns back,” someone speaks, and Taako whips his head around to see them. He,,,? Can’t spot anybody??</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Back to, uh, Winter, I mean,” the gruff voice continues. “Lup probably doesn’t recognize what she’s done, but knowing her, she’ll definitely wanna turn it all back to snow.. especially with all of this lava, it’s really gotta be affecting the wildlife at this point, not just th..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the voice continues to ramble on, Taako meet’s Krav’s eyes in a way that is purely confused. Even Ango, pushing down a yawn, is looking around in bewilderment- until someone walks up near them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I know she’ll fix it. Definitely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there stands a man made of black volcanic stone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako yelps, startled, and the man reaches out just a bit. “Oh, goodness, I- sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, uh- I’m really sorry about that,” he speaks. He’s about Taako’s height, if not a tad shorter, and looks mostly humanoid aside from the blocky chunks of rock that compromise his form. He has little black glass circles for eyes, and what almost looks to be a pair of glasses on top made of that same black glass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m, uh.. I’m Barry. I don’t know if you’ll.. Recognize me? If I’m honest, I don’t really know how I’ve achieved sentience, I think it’s through Lup being my creator and me having a consciousness based off of her current knowledge, and- I’m sorry, I feel very naked right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Barry.. wait, wait, hold on- Barry Bluejeans? I.. my memory is.. really fuzzy on you, uh- hold on,” Taako mumbles, clutching his head in pain as a headache already begins to storm it’s way through. “Ah, uh- sh-shit, sorry, I get.. bad migraines like these sometimes, I’m gonna-” the prince stops talking as he just goes to sit down on the damp grass. “Sit..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kravitz, albeit still looking super untrustworthy of Barry, kneeled by Taako’s side quietly and began to talk to him in a soft voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ango captured Barry’s attention almost instantly, pulling out a little notebook of his own. If he was showing ANY sign of being tired before, it was long gone and replaced by his interest in the volcanic man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah!! Apologies for the questions, sir, but I have to know!” He scrambled to write down questions in his notepad. “How are you animated like this? Are you real? Is your consciousness a part of Lup’s or is it your own? What kind of rock are you? How do you know these complex words and thoughts if you were just created this evening? How do you know Common? Why is your last name Bluejeans?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako groaned, huffing and snapping his fingers. “This, uh.. hold on, this is why.” He kept snapping his fingers until shakily his magic started to work, and he conjured up.. a pair of jeans. They fell to the ground, and Taako picked them up as he stood with Kravitz’s help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He.. from what my shitty brain is allowing me to remember.. he was a character me and Lup came up with when we were kids. I can't quite remember why, I.. we were probably learning about volcanos or something. But Barry was.. a character who liked, uh, I think hugs? And we gave him pants just cause it was goofy. Why Lup decided to make you real, pal, I have no fuckin’ idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry took the pants handed to him and quickly put them on, noticing that he felt a lot more.. complete, with them on. “Oh, this is.. much better, thank you, Taako. And- yeah, I have the same feeling, if I’m honest, I’ve been contemplating my reality in the very short time I’ve been alive and I’ve just gotta say, I didn’t think her magic was capable of this. I don’t feel.. necrotic, in any way, but my existence shouldn’t be real. I was just a goof created by a six-year-old.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I noticed that.. you’re right, about not having any necromantic properties about you,” Kravitz said, letting Taako stand on his own now as the headache seems to have faded. “But I’ll have to ask my patron goddess about your origins- I feel like she’d have a clue, as I literally.. cannot fathom how you’re alive. But seeing as you’re here now, and there’s no way we can change that.. is there any possibility that you’d know where the queen went after creating you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“By the way, I’m Angus!” Ango interrupts, having blurted it out excitedly. “Um.. uh, sorry. I know that we’re supposed to be on the search for Queen Lup, but I’m really excited in an academic sense to find out why you exist!” he said all in one breath, adjusting his glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kravitz smiled and gave a small chuckle, ruffling his child’s hair. “I know you are, but let him finish..” He looked back to Barry. “You do go by he/him, right? By the way, uh, I’m Kravitz. I’m.. the Grim Reaper. So, I out of anyone would know you’re not some sort of death incarnate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry laughed at the child’s enthusiasm too, crossing his arms. “That’s.. Comforting? I also wanna know why I exist. I’m having a crisis over here.” He looked back up the mountain, squinting and adjusting his ‘glasses’. “I can lead you to where I saw her last. And.. uh, yeah, I’m he/him. It comes with the name and jeans combo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alrighty. Let’s head out, then, yeah?” said Taako, looking a lot better after that pseudo-migraine. He was scribbling furiously in his journal, as Kravitz had been catching him doing a lot more as the hours went on. The elf closed it with a flourish and pocketed the thing; Krav made a mental note to ask about it later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right on. Let’s head on up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Down in Starblast, the rain hasn’t stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The black glass covered some surfaces, it was stiflingly hot, and most of the residents of the kingdom had moved outside. People stood in lines to get fresh water, and popsicle stands had reopened (and began to make an absolute KILLING with the children of the kingdom.) Anxiety ran high amongst not just the villagers, but the guests and dignitaries of the foriegn lands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like a light in the dark, Sazed moved through the crowds of people. “Umbrella. Does anyone need an umbrella?” he asked aloud, and a couple of people accepted them from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jules Waxmen of the woodworking shop smiled as she was handed one. “Starblast is indebted to you, your Highness.. Thank you for all you’re doing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She got a sweet smile in return, and Sazed kept going on. “The castle is open. There’s soup and cooler temperatures in the Great Hall..” He handed the stack of umbrellas to a soaking wet guard. “Here. Pass these out, please..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just then, the Duke of the Underdark approached Sazed. He looked.. Absolutely miserable. His beautiful long silver hair was far less voluminous and it was clear that some of his purple foundation was leaking from his face. “Prince Sazed, are ve just expected to sit here and roast in zese humid conditions while you give away all of Starblast’s tradable goods?” He had an awfully tight scowl on his face for someone so pretty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed huffed and smoothed his own wet hair back. “Prince Taako has given his orders to me, and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And zat’s another zing!” Brian interrupted. “Has it dawned on you zat your prince may be conspiring viz a vicked sorceress to destroy us all? He is a vizard himself, after all-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed’s eyes turned to threatening slits. “Do not question the Prince. Taako left me in charge, and I will not hesitate to protect Starblast from treason, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Duke Brian</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The drow looked utterly flabbergasted and offended at that remark. “Treason?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, from the distance came the alarmed whinny of Taako’s spectral steed. Garyll returned alone, bucking and kicking and barely corporeal anymore. The power channeling it was fading, as it was only an hour summon. Sazed hissed and carefully grabbed it’s reins, hushing Garyll as Taako’s red cloak fell from the spectral pack. “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa, boy. Easy. Easy..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crowd looked amongst each other. “Prince Taako’s horse.. What happened to him? Where is he?” They watched the Glamour Springs dignitary pick up Taako's cape, looking forlorn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sazed steadied the horse, looking up at the mountain. He then turned to all the panicked faces of the kingdom looking to him. “..Prince Taako is in trouble. I need volunteers to go with me to find him!” Volunteers, some from Starblast, some from other lands, rushed up to offer their services.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I volunteer two men!” spoke Brian aloud, and then turned to the two thugs in question. “Be prepared for anyzing, and should you encounter ze Queen, you are to put an end to zis vinter. Do you understand?” His two thugs sneered in response, gearing up to join Sazed and the other men headed up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d be sure to find Lup and Taako, if it killed them.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT POSTING HOLY SHIT!! I got talking about Frozen to someone earlier and got reminded of how much I actually love this fic, so... cranked this out in a day. If you wanna keep up with what I'm doing on the daily, check out my Insta! @sav.guilmette.86</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Taako and Lup have a civilized discussion with no repercussions whatsoever.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The gang of people the prince was travelling with had expanded in such a short time from evening to morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If anyone, Taako assumed he’d be heading up the mountain with Prince Sazed, but.. someone that he trusted had to be down there taking care of the kingdom. He didn’t know who he would’ve possibly left in charge down there.. If Sazed weren’t there, he probably wouldn’t have been able to come up here at all. But he couldn’t think of an alternative, really. If he didn’t go get his sister, who would?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, maybe the folks he was trekking with right here. They all seemed pretty determined in their own individual ways.. He hadn’t expected to meet any of them, but here he was, jotting down notes about each person. The blonde figured it would help with his shitty memory, at least a little. It’s not like he was going to forget any of this bullshit any time soon, but.. The smaller details of things tended to evade him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like how two minutes ago, Kravitz told a really embarrassing story about Angus when he was much younger. And Barry shared with them that he actually knows a</span>
  <em>
    <span> lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> of science shit, probably because he was created by Lup. And Taako remembered that his umbrella had belonged to the family for a couple of generations, it wasn’t just Maureen’s. And now, these little things would live on in his spellbook/notebook with the fancy purple ink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a while, though, he did have to pocket the book and take out said umbrella. As they trudged up the North Mountain, it just got hotter and hotter, and the rain just would not stop. They were far enough up to see hot white lightning in the clouds, and it was too close for comfort. But Barry insisted they were almost there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Kravitz spoke, trying to keep conversation going even as the terrain got harsher. “Taako, how exactly are you planning to stop this weather?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m gonna talk to my sister,” Taako spoke, clutching the umbrella tighter as a gust of hot wind nearly fuckin blew him and Ango over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s your plan? The fate of your kingdom down there is riding on you talking to your sister?” Kravitz looked genuinely stunned by his casual plan, especially when he got a nod from Taako. “So you’re not at all afraid of her? It appears she’s a more competent wizard than you, Taako, at least with all of this elemental stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think this is normal magic, Bone Boy. I don’t know how long you’ve been disconnected from the real world, off in that Astral Plane of yours.. but this is, like, exactly what you shouldn’t be able to do with weather. You can do, maybe, like- a cantrip, to make it look like you’re holding fire.. But she had real-ass fire. It sounds kinda like a crack theory, but I think this might be something related to, like, god given powers. Because wizards can’t control fire, water, wind, or earth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kravitz blinked, looking at Taako in astonishment. “Oh. I.. had the same theory, actually, Taako. I’m kind of surprised you said that,” he mumbled, and this earned a glare and laughter from the prince.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? You think I’m some dumbass who can’t handle himself? Well think again, Bones, ch’boy’s a certified genius when it comes to magic. You can handle the necromantic stuff, I’ll handle just how to tackle this problem with my sister.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But sir, how do you know Queen Lup wants to see you? Statistically, most people who disappear into the mountains want to be alone,” Angus spoke up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako frowned, taking a moment before answering. “Nobody wants to be alone. Not even her, I.. I’m sure of it. She must’ve hated the isolation as much as I did..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Taako, I hate to burst your bubble, but.. she seemed pretty elated when she created </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Barry said, gesturing just ahead of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The castle loomed above the four of them, stormy and hot and menacing. Taako’s ears pinned to his head in anxiety, biting his lip. “Ah.. shit. So she just.. Made a huge lava rock castle? Nice, nice. This’ll be fun to, uh, experience, all this oppressive muggy heat,” Taako rambled, folding up his umbrella. The four of them got up to the door to the grand rocky castle, and Taako raised a hand to knock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he didn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kravitz, Ango and Barry watched his palpable hesitation. Krav was about to say something, make a sarcastic remark about how maybe the prince didn’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> to knock, but finally he did it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound echoed emptily inside, and after a moment, the black glass doors slid open. Taako’s ears flickered and he laughed emptily. “..ha. It actually opened. That’s a first..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The prince was about to step in, the entourage following, but he looked back at them, and Angus specifically. He bit his lip, gripping his umbrella tightly. “Uhm.. uh, hold on.” He stopped where he stood in the doorway, and knelt to Ango’s level. “I’m gonna leave this with you guys for right now, okay? I’m.. I’m gonna go inside, and I’m gonna cast Tiny Hut for you guys to be in a cooler, safer environment than a castle filled with lava.” The prince casted the spell, creating an interdimensional door near them, and then handed the umbrella to Angus. “Hold onto that for me, Ango, I trust you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Taako, what?” Kravitz asked, looking at him with concern. “Why aren’t we coming with you? I understand having Angus stay outside, I’d prefer that too, but.. What about myself or Barry? We can’t come with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Krav, the last time I introduced her to a guy, she lit everything on fire. I think it’s best if I just talk to her myself,” Taako said, taking off his wizard hat. He gently set it on Barry, knowing that it would just make him too hot if he were to walk into the palace with it on. “At least wait a couple minutes. I can handle it.” He gave a reassuring smile to them all and stepped inside the doors by himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taako walked quietly into the great foyer, the heat almost immediately more intense than it was outside. He pulled at his collar as his ears flickered with anxiety, looking around the beautiful castle. It seemed exactly up Lup’s alley.. but also eerie, in a very real way. He took a breath and realized that he ought to at least start looking for her. “Lup?” he yelled aloud into the castle. “It’s, uh.. me, Taako,” he called out, nearly slipping on the gorgeous black volcanic glass that made up the floor. He steadied himself, only to almost slip again when he heard a voice from seemingly nowhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taaks..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His heart almost melted right then and there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup stepped out of the shadows onto a balcony. She looked longingly down at her brother, her twin, her</span>
  <em>
    <span> heart</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Of course he’d come here..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s ears pinned back. Holy shit, Lup looked changed. She was wearing her hair down for probably, like, the first time in her whole fucking life. Her coronation outfit had changed to a beautiful long red and orange gown, and that stood out beautifully against the deep blacks and reds of the castle. “Lulu, you look.. different. It’s a good different. And this whole fuckin’ palace thing is just.. Amazing, and breathtaking, honestly!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup looked cautious almost, smiling in a reserved and polite way that Taako hadn’t really seen before. “Thank you, Taako, I.. I never really knew what I was capable of. In a way, it’s because of you that I do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako grimaced for a moment. “I..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made a movement to start climbing the stairs. “I’m so sorry about what happened, Lup. If I had known, I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup’s immediate reaction was to back up, away from her brother. Was she.. On guard? “No, Koko, it’s okay.. You don’t have to apologize.... But you should probably go, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako gave her a look, ears dipping down in disappointment automatically. “But I just got here. Lup...You belong in Starblast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So do you, Taako. So you need to go. This.. it’s where I belong. Up here, I can’t hurt anybody. I’m just trying to protect you,” she said, and backed up further as Taako advanced. “Taako, don’t- don’t make me remove you from here by force,” she warned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His ears fell further, and his body language tightened up as he kept trying to follow. “Lup, you won’t hurt me, o-or anyone, I just- I need you there! I’m not afraid! Life is too short for us not to know each other..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She screwed her eyes tight and ran further into the castle, leaving Taako to chase after her. “Lulu, please- wait!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She faced him, the two standing in one of the castle’s many long hallways. “Taako, I’m not going back. Up here I can’t hurt you, I don’t care about going back if it means keeping you safe!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lup, you don’t have to protect me. I-I’m not afraid. Please don’t shut me out again. I love you! W-we can head down the mountain together, the both of us, as a team, and explain everything to the citizens and the dignitaries that are stuck here..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I.. wait, Taako, what? They’re stuck here? What do you mean by that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s eyes met hers for a moment, only to drift to the floor soon after. “..Shit, Lulu, uh..” he sighed. “The.. that, uhm- the black glass shit, yeah? This?” he motioned, tapping on the glass with his shoe. “This has covered the fjord, and.. The boats can’t leave. E-even I wouldn’t be able to transmute it. That, and the, uh- the heat and the humidity, it’s turned Starblast into a veritable hurricane. Everyone is stuck. Y-you kind of set off an eternal summer storm.. Everywhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup’s countenance dropped and her ears fell, looking a hell of a lot more unsure than she did even five minutes ago. “Taako.. Everywhere? I don’t know how to reverse this, I- I don’t know how to fix this shit! I only just- just started using these- this goddamned </span>
  <em>
    <span>curse</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lup, I can help you fix it! Listen, listen, if- if anyone out there could figure out what happened.. It would be us, right? You just have to trust me.. The two of us working together could fix this whole mess, we could reverse it all and things could just.. y’know, go back to the way-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am not going back to the way things were.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako stood stock still, realizing that sparks were now dancing at her fingertips. In fact, they filled the room, now. The air felt scorching, and it was a moment too late that she realized that she was.. physically threatening him with this newfound fire magic. She gasped, but the sparks didn’t dissipate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s.. No need for..” he trails off, seeing the horror in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taako,” she gasped, hands trembling. “Taako, go, you’re just making things worse!” The tension only served to agitate Lup’s magic, as the sparks started to cyclone around the pair, dangerous and blazing and red.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His ears flitted back in frustration. “No, Lup, I’m- I’m sick of being shut out and- and unloved, I just want to know you! I just want to be friends again, I- I don’t know what happened to all of that! I can help you, you just- have to stop shutting doors in my face!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sparks whipped around them, building up and building up in pressure as the intensity worsened. The twins lost sight of each other in the thickening fiery storm, and Taako shielded his face as the sparks hit his skin. “Taako, stop, you’re not safe here!” The prince coughed and tried to push through the scorching whirlwind, fighting against her. Her eyes lit an amazing incandescent yellow, and she shouted in fear as her magic just finally bursted outward in all directions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Taako was struck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grasped his chest, stumbling backward from the harsh impact of the blast. His dress shirt with the insignia of Starblast started to burn up at the place he got hit, leaving an awful charred mark on the shirt. The prince trembled and fell to his knees, hissing and feeling the hot tears bubble to his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the entrance to the room, a strange purple light started to glow from nowhere, and then became a large disc-shaped prism of light that swirled and moved as it grew. It nearly looked like a vortex of some sort, but then it stopped short when a sharp point tore it open. It was Kravitz, teleporting in using his scythe, and- goddamn, wasn’t his timing just perfect. The reaper locked eyes with Taako on the ground, and let a curse escape as he rushed to his side. “Shit, Taako, are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I’m fine.. I’m okay,” Taako spoke quietly, using Kravitz’s help to stand up straight. He stood solidly, determined to hide the pain. The elf couldn’t stop looking at his sister, who looked absolutely panicked now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s this?” She hissed and shook her head. “Wait, it- it doesn’t matter. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> have to go, now,” Lup spoke in short breaths, holding her hands close to her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lup, no, I know we can figure this out together-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?” she asked, almost desperately. “What power do you have to stop this heatwave? T-to stop me? Taako,</span>
  <em>
    <span> I </span>
  </em>
  <span>don’t know how to stop me,” she said, ears pinned backward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kravitz started to get a weird, awful vibe again- the same necromancy vibe he’d gotten from her earlier, and put a protective arm around Taako. It was starting to change colors in the room, as the sparks began to change from orangey-red to brilliant blue. “Taako.. I think we should go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I’m not leaving without you, Lup,’ he spoke, trying to move forward as Krav held him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lup’s sparks picked up in intensity once more. “Yes, you are.” With a wave of her arms, the sparks began to collate in the middle of the room, amassing into a huge ball of bright blue flame. Rocks began to tear from the walls and fly toward this inferno, piling up on top of it as a protective casing. The rocks assembled into what looked like arms and legs, and- oh, shit, this thing was a good many feet taller than Taako and Kravitz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then it was running at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako began to run, grasping Krav’s hand tightly, but it was already too late. The massive golem picked them both up in one big swoop of its arms. Taako hissed in pain, already shouting for it to put them down as it walked down the way Taako came. “LUP!” he called out, and the pair struggled as Lup watched on, forlorn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room was empty now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tried to keep her composure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And as soon as she didn’t hear her brother anymore, she instantly broke down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fire golem reached the door, still with Kravitz and Taako in tow. “Put- put us DOWN!” Taako commanded, and got his wish shortly after. The golem threw the two of them to the end of the steps, the pair landing roughly on the wet ground. The hot rain seemed to pour even harder on them now than it had on the way up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“DAD!” came a little voice from around the corner. It was Angus, and he was running toward them as fast as he could without slipping. It was clear he came from the Tiny Hut that Taako casted, and Barry wasn’t far behind. Ango slipped and skidded onto his knees in the puddle just beside them, quickly wrapping his arms around his dad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m alright, kiddo,” Kravitz spoke, as he sat up a bit. He hugged the boy in return and gently rubbed Ango’s back. “We’ll be alright.” Even he was trembling a little bit. Barry, looking worried, surveyed the damage to the two as he handed Taako his umbrella.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako growled, not even able to give Barry a quick thank you. Incensed, he used the umbrella as a crutch and stood back up shakily. “Fuck you! If you think I’m not gonna try to get back in there,” he ranted, already moving to head back up the stairs. Kravitz held him by the pant leg, though, stopping him in his tracks. The prince, sopping wet and miserable, turned and glared at the reaper.. Only for a moment. His eyes softened, seeing him hold Angus so close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taako.. We’re done here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elf’s ears fell in disappointment, still clutching his chest. “..okay.. yeah, you’re.. you’re right.” He took another breath. “I’m calm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Magic Missile hit the golem not two seconds later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It absolutely fucking ROARED, making it’s way back down the stairs. Taako’s ears flitted up in alarm, unprepared for this circumstance. “Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck, SHIT</span>
  </em>
  <span>-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Barry stood in front of the three of them, putting his arm out. “You guys, run, I’ll distract him!” Kravitz took the opportunity and lifted Angus into his arms, grabbing Taako’s wrist with his free hand and booking it. They ran down the stormy mountain, slippery rocks and booming thunder and hissing lava making for a shitty, suffocating descent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako took a look behind them, worried about Barry, only to see him get tossed aside by the fire golem with ease. “BARRY!” He didn’t have time to think as Kravitz was grabbing a hand around his waist, leaping and sliding down a steep slope. The three tumbled to a stop at the bottom just as the golem landed hard right behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were off again, Kravitz scrambling to find someplace safe and out of view. They ran through a maze of conifers, Taako stumbling alongside the reapers, as they tried to lose the trail. They bursted out of the forest, and right as they did- Angus shouted. “Dad- stop!” He clung hard to Kravitz, who held out an arm to stop himself and Taako from going over. It was a fucking huge cliff drop..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“H-holy shit, Krav, that’s like a hundred feet down,” Taako said, looking to the reaper anxiously. “Can’t- can you do your teleporting thing you did in the castle?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two hundred, at best, and- shit, no, I can’t- I can only really use that once a day, for emergencies!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That constituted as an emergency and this doesn’t?!” Taako asked incredulously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, you had gotten hurt! I- goodness, we don’t have time for this,” the Reaper grumbled, frustrated, and looked behind them. “Okay, we probably have, like, a minute, give or take. Angus?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ango perked up in worry at hearing his name, getting set on the ground by Kravitz. “Yeah, sir?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’know how we’ve been practicing your rifts back at home? Well, look, I know you don’t have the whole portal thing down yet, but it would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>super helpful</span>
  </em>
  <span> right about now if you were able to do it,” Kravitz said, handing over his scythe to the child. “Do you remember how?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Angus looked stressed suddenly, the weight of getting down the mountain now placed on his shoulders. “I-I, uhm..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thumping of golem footsteps edged closer. A roar was heard nearby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay, okay, I can try it,” Angus panicked. He stepped away from the two men, a bit away from the edge of the cliff. He took a deep breath, holding the huge-in-comparison scythe toward the ground. He mumbled something under his breath, eyes shut tight, and peeked one open to see if anything had happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another huge roar sounded, this time closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Angus trembled, looking to the two adults. “D-dad, I- I won’t be able to-! I can’t do it in time,” he said, lowering the scythe. “I can’t do it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako’s ears fell in anxiety, about to speak until he saw the monster peering through the trees. “Shit- Ango!” He raced forward, grabbing the young boy’s hand to yank him away. “Gods, </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>- okay, we have to do this!” Taako grabbed hold of Kravitz’s hand too, and pulled them toward the cliff’s edge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on, wait, Taako, what are you- DOING!?” the reaper shouted as Taako jumped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Angus and Kravitz screamed on the descent, but Taako stayed quiet; that was, until he shouted an incantation and Featherfall was cast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gravity stopped affecting the speed of their descent as they kinda paused in the air, ten feet from the ground. Angus panted hard, his little hand shaking in Taako’s. They all just took a moment for themselves to calm down as their feet finally touched the ground. The rain was far less bad down here, further down the mountain, but they were all still soaking wet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako kneeled to the ground and doubled over, taking deep breaths. “Hhhhhholy shit. That one took some outta me.” Behind him, Kravitz and Angus hugged, the man trying to calm his son down. After a good, long couple minutes Taako sat back up, looking at his companions. “Fuck. You guys alright?” he asked softly, clutching his umbrella.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.. w-we’re alright, sir,” Ango said back, having calmed down significantly. He looked.. disappointed, probably because he wasn’t able to tear the rift. Taako frowned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well.. Taako, now what..?” Krav asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now what?” Taako parrotted back, ears falling. “I.. well, let’s cover all of our bases, I guess.. Uhm. Lup threw me out. I can’t go back to Starblast like this. And there’s your Reaper job you have to uphold, and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taako, don’t worry about my reaper duties.. I can f.. uh..?” He looked at Taako quizzically for a moment. “Worry about your hair?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- what? We just flew down a cliff, dude, you should see your own hair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Taako, I mean- yours is turning red,” he gestured to the streak in Taako’s hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Red?” Taako blinked and pulled the streaked piece of hair out from the bunch, and noticed that, yep, more of his blonde was turning red.. Even part of the piece he was holding in his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s.. it’s because she struck you, isn’t it, Taako?” Krav asked, looking concerned. Angus gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad, she hit him..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She didn’t mean it, it.. I-it wasn’t malicious, I.. was egging her on, I pushed her to this,” Taako admitted, huffing. “It was her magic.” His eyes fell until he looked to the two of them again. “It doesn’t.. look bad, does it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kravitz looked like he was thinking for a moment, and Angus just looked disappointed that his first concern was aesthetics. Kravitz spoke after a sec. “No, it doesn’t look bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You hesitated, dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I didn’t. Taako, you need help.. so let’s get going.” Kravitz stood, setting Angus upright as he did so. He reached over to Taako, extending a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taako took it and winced as he stood. “So, where we headed, Bones..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To see my goddess and her other patrons. It’s not far from here, don’t worry..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The prince and his companions walked on through the hot evening, Taako taking a moment to write in his journal on the way. </span>
  <span>“Lup is pissed and doesn’t wanna come home. Barry got left behind, but Kravitz saved me. Red streak in my hair is growing..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that related to the hot panicky feeling in my chest??? Guess we’ll find out.” </span>
  <span>And the book snapped closed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Back in her palace, Lup paced the glass floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe I did that.. How could I have hurt him so recklessly?” she mumbled, sniffling and wiping the remainder of the tears from her eyes. “Gods.. I.. are they still here? Taako probably wouldn’t have left, I..” she hissed. “I have to go make sure he’s alright,” she spoke aloud, and headed for the main doors. The sparks faded around her, cooling down from blue, to orange, to black.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before she even made it to the door, she heard a knock. Seeing a silhouette beyond the door, she let out a breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Taako, I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was definitely</span>
  <em>
    <span> not </span>
  </em>
  <span>Taako standing there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a much smaller rock golem-man-creature-thing standing before her, holding Taako’s hat in his gravely hands and wearing a pair of sturdy denim jeans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Lup,” he greeted in a gruff voice. “Can we talk?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you guys for reading! This is my first TAZ fic that isn't just,, revision of another work. I did my best to form this AU well with our beloved Balance crew! I just had to make this after watching Frozen 2 lmao. Find me on the TAZ amino and Insta as sav.guilmette.86!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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